This weekend on Facebook, at least a half-dozen friends posted queries as to whether or not they should go be going to Mass. Their kids were getting over the flu, had taken Tamiflu, and while they weren’t all the way better, they were improving. They’d had a bout of stomach bug yesterday, but were beginning to feel human today. The details were different, but the questions were the same – If we’re kind-of under the weather, should we still be... Read more
Two days ago, I saw this video of adaptive athletes on Facebook and took a look. I was thrilled to see so many of the amazing people that I know on there. Then it got to the end, and there was my own girl doing her own beastly best! Since then, it’s been viewed over 5,500,000 times! Good gravy that’s a lot. Ella’s gone viral, and so have all of these other fantastic people. Take a moment to watch it.... Read more
Earlier today, I asked my children (ages 15, 13, 10, 7, and 5) what they thought Mary was really like. What follows is their conversation. My comments are in blue, the rest are them. “So, what do you think she was really like? Not the statues, but the real person?” “I think she was beautiful, peaceful, and quiet like the pictures.” “What? No way. I think she had ugly feet like in the picture over the mantel.” “It has ugly... Read more
In case you wondered why it’s called “Shoved to Them”… Fifteen years ago today, our eldest son was born 10 weeks too soon. My sweet boy who was due at the end of February actually arrived in the middle of December. Weighing just barely over 3 pounds and struggling for every breath, he was delivered by c-section 6 days after my water broke. I’d spent six days in a hospital bed with my feet elevated higher than my head to... Read more
We were cruising through the grocery store when I heard Ella say to herself, “Ugh. I hate that.” I looked around and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, so I asked, ” What do you hate?” “When moms tell their kids to not look at me. It’s like I’m supposed to be invisible.” I knew exactly what she meant, because I’ve said it myself. I’ve been in public when we see someone with an obvious disability and my... Read more
Yesterday afternoon, a friend of mine sent me the link to the latest episode of Michael Voris’s The Vortex. In it Mr Voris discusses his theories for how feminists have conspired to de-masculinize men, and take over the Church and society. I can’t say whether or not his conspiracy theories are conspiracy truths, the radical man-hating feminists no longer return my phone calls. It could be that he’s onto something. What I do know is that his inclusion of... Read more
This morning, my sons (ages 7 and 13) came to me and asked for permission to decorate the house for Christmas by themselves. It’s a few days early for us, we usually put up the tree on Gaudete Sunday, but I looked at those eager hopeful faces and couldn’t say no. Within a half hour, they’d dragged the boxes into the front room and begun digging through them. They moved the furniture around and began with the tree. They... Read more
I’m not even going to beat around the bush here, y’all. I’m over-scheduled and beyond frazzled. I sat down in Mass two weeks back and realized that I hadn’t spent a full day at home without leaving since well before Halloween. I wake up in the morning already running out the door, and lay down at night with thoughts of the next day’s to-do list dancing in my head. I’m struggling to find time to do anything with my... Read more
Last night was WCMX for Ella, and she insisted on bringing cookies. Monday marked 6 months since she started using a wheelchair, and she wanted to do something fun to remember it with her friends. “It’s my six month Gimp Day,” she told me matter-of-factly. “I need Gimp Day cookies.” She’s not making things up. Gimp Day is a thing in the adaptive community. With grown-ups, they usually get together with their friends and have a beer (or... Read more
I was skeptical about this cover of “Hallelujah” that changes the words, but I LOVE it. I’ve listened to it over and over again this afternoon, and will be until Epiphany and maybe longer!!! Ahhhh….I can’t wait for Advent to end and Christmas to be upon us. Read more
Shoved to Them
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