I’ll Love You Forever. Until Tomorrow.

Last updated on: January 11, 2012 at 9:04 am By Pia de Solenni

In 2010, Washington, DC redefined marriage so that same-sex couples could marry. Part of the argument in favor of redefining marriage has been that same-sex couples in committed relationships should be allowed to marry because they are in a long-term relationship…that sort of looks like marriage. Now DC is considering legislation (at the Council level) that would make it easier for same-sex couples married in DC to divorce. This would also apply to any same-sex couple that married in DC... Read more

An Infant King & Why It’s A Good Time To Be A Catholic

Last updated on: December 29, 2011 at 7:32 am By Pia de Solenni

Well, the month of December pretty well got away from me. I was writing, but missed posting here on my blog. So to wrap things up, here’s a piece reflecting on why God made man had to start as an infant. And here are some thoughts on why this is a good time to be a Catholic. I’d been reading some history and once again was reminded of the idea that only a divinely instituted church could survive humanity and... Read more

Wedding Dresses & Women. Or “How women dream of Prince Charming and wakeup in ‘The Hangover.'”

Last updated on: December 1, 2011 at 9:20 am By Pia de Solenni

The wedding industry takes a regular beating for being over the top. But there are also good aspects to it. As a designer of high-end wedding dresses, Justina McCraffrey (full disclosure – a friend of mine) sees a lot of the inner workings of weddings. Her work brings her closely in contact with the bride, as described in a recent piece for The Huffington Post. She gets a chance to watch the dress reveal to the bride the woman she... Read more

There’s Still Time To Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Last updated on: November 21, 2011 at 7:17 am By Pia de Solenni

If you’re like me, you were a little confused when you saw candy canes for sale at the same time as the Halloween treats this year. Traditionalists have long marked the start of the Christmas season not so much by the Advent calendar but by that day-after feeling of eating Thanksgiving leftovers, watching football, or shopping Black Friday. But aggressive marketing and a weakened economy have gradually pushed the Christmas season beyond the start of November and all the way... Read more

No One Invited…Mother.

Last updated on: November 10, 2011 at 7:40 am By Pia de Solenni

Over the weekend, I was sifting through a pile of mail and got distracted with a Brooks Brothers catalog (pictured right). Something bothered me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I realized, this cover picture had nothing to do with a family, except perhaps a broken one. There’s no way this woman could be the mother to those children unless she had them when she was 13 or 15, which doesn’t sound like the demographic that shops... Read more

Women, Catholics, & Conservatives

Last updated on: October 27, 2011 at 6:19 am By Pia de Solenni

Last week, I wrote my regular column on three films this year that feature women leads, including The Mighty Macs, a G-rated feel-good sports movie that opened last weekend. I’m used to writing about controversy so I almost felt like I wasn’t doing my job by writing about something that would be so uncontroversial. Silly me. Turns out that this movie, at least according to some, is “contrary to Catholic teaching and as such [doesn’t] deserve our support.” Strong words.... Read more

How much is that (custom) baby in the window?

Last updated on: October 14, 2011 at 10:13 am By Pia de Solenni

So here’s the thing. If you’re looking for something to follow that’s strange, weird, and fascinating, forget reality TV or any other fiction. Just look into the largely unregulated world of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). It’s all especially ironic in light of the attention given to the fact that Steve Jobs was adopted, not ordered like an iProduct. Read more here. Read more

Happy World Contraception Day

Last updated on: September 30, 2011 at 8:58 am By Pia de Solenni

Ooops, I’m late. (Pun intended.) In case you didn’t know, Monday, September 26, was “World Contraception Day,” so designated by a coalition of ten NGOs. (h/t Teresa Tomeo) Guess they didn’t know that over at Grey’s Anatomy either. (Back to Grey’s in a second.) As I’ve noted before, the Alan Guttmacher Institute (research arm of Planned Parenthood), claims that 46% of the women having abortions have not used a contraceptive during the month in which they became pregnant. In other... Read more

The Family That Prays Together Stays Together

Last updated on: September 28, 2011 at 9:34 am By Pia de Solenni

I’ve heard this saying many times, but really didn’t know much about the history of it. Turns out it was coined by Fr. Peyton, sometime in the late 40s or early 50s. At one point, he led a rosary rally in San Francisco that reportedly drew over half a million people. In honor of the 50th anniversary of this historic event, a Family Rosary Crusade has been organized for October 15th, again in San Francisco. More info here. Hope you... Read more

Toddlers, Tiaras, & Bad Parenting

Last updated on: May 7, 2014 at 9:08 am By Pia de Solenni

No doubt, you’ve heard about the really troubling segments of the reality show “Toddlers and Tiaras.” (Arguably, the whole show is troubling.) One of the best commentaries I’ve seen on child pageants comes in the form of the movie Little Miss Sunshine. An unlikely pageant contestant, Olive really isn’t that cute or beautiful, and her family’s a mess. Her absurd grandfather is the only one with the bandwidth to help her prepare for the pageant. In his own way, he’s... Read more