My aunt Kathy died last week, quite unexpectedly. She had a year-long bout with polio as a very young child and never walked again. She spent her whole life confined to a wheelchair or iron leg braces, never free from the complications of post-polio syndrome. For my aunt, pain was inextricable from life, varying only in degree. At her funeral, it was only natural that her friends and family expressed gratitude amidst our grief for her release from suffering. But... Read more
A few years ago, about two years after my conversion to Catholicism, a chance conversation with friends led me face-to-face with the realization that I could actually go to hell. You’ll appreciate the novelty of this idea more if you understand that being raised Evangelical, I had understood from an early age that I was saved. Hell as a reality for me was something that I had literally never considered before. The fear of it took my breath away. And... Read more
Sienna, Lincoln, and I flew to Texas on Halloween for my aunt’s funeral. Her death was unexpected, despite a life lived with post-polio complications, and it gave me a lot to ponder about life, death, and suffering. I guess that’s fortuitous, since when I came back the Patheosi were in full-on hell mode. I have my own thoughts to add to that discussion later, as well as some thoughts about my aunt, but for now I’m busy reveling in the... Read more
Ah, Halloween. That magical holiday that kicks off the Holiday Mommy Wars. You know what I mean, right? Halloween vs. All Saint’s Day, Thanksgiving vs. A Day of Gratitude Where We Remember that We Owe Those Puritans Nothing and We Pray for the Souls of the Indians Slaughtered While We Eat This Delicious Turkey, Santa vs. St. Nicholas, Your Kid’s a Pagan vs. My Kid’s a Saint-in-training…etc. Okay, so I may be exaggerating just a little. I have pretty good... Read more
I gave an interview about what life is like in Ave Maria at Catholic Stand. I know everyone has preconceived notions about it, so let me just confirm those: Wanna read more? Click over to Catholic Stand. Read more
I didn’t have much time for blogging today, but what little I had I spent reading interesting links instead. Sorry. But I figured I should at least share! Rebecca Frech’s post about talking to your kids. She is so freaking brilliant and she’s always up for a facebook chat and I love her. Read it! Chinese foot binding in pictures. This practice is so chilling. The fact that it went on for a thousand years is absolutely horrific. Rare... Read more
A few weeks ago, the kids and I were watching Stuart Little 2. It’s not my favorite kids movie, but they like it and it has Hugh Laurie in it, so it gets a pass. As we watched Geena Davis make the most implausibly elaborate 7 am breakfast ever, dressed to the nines, natch, and sporting the fakest perpetual smile in fake-ville, Sienna sighed, “I wish you could be like that in the morning.” I bristled immediately and started to... Read more
I got my first taste of parenting anxiety the day after Sienna was born. As the Ogre was opening the car-seat box and trying to figure out how it worked (planners-ahead, we are not) the discharge nurse brought me an enormous stack of paperwork to read, sign, initial, take-home, etc. It was chock-full of what seemed to be VITAL information about this terrifyingly tiny creature and how not to break her. After a half-hour, the nurse bustled in and chirped,... Read more
This weekend, the Ogre and I finally watched World War Z. Being a confirmed zombie junkie, I was really looking forward to this one. I read the book and loved it. It scared me so thoroughly that I didn’t sleep well for a solid week. And even though I followed (with horror) the way the movie ignored absolutely everything that made the book great, I still wanted to see it. The Ogre and I always watch zombie movies together, though,... Read more
I can’t stop reading this article. It’s the best rabbit-hole ever. I’m a Hero: Hero generations grow up as increasingly protected post-Awakening children. Prophet parents see their Hero children as instruments to fulfill their inner visions. Community and teamwork are instilled in Heroes at a young age. They are confident, ambitious, and optimistic about life, even in tough times. Heroes enter young adulthood during a Crisis. Their youth, along with their orientation towards action and their ability to work well... Read more
Barefoot and Pregnant
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