First, if you are suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, seek help. Go to a doctor or emergency room. Pick up the phone and call someone right now and tell them you are in trouble. You are loved and there are people who will do anything to help you. Second, I do not speak for everyone who has lost someone to suicide. Every suicide is different, every survivor is different and everyone is in a different place in their processing... Read more
I feel as if my entire life has been spent watching other people be happy and have good things happen to them as I sit in poverty, without a father and feeling like the dollar store version of everyone else. When I was in Jr. High and name brand clothes became this big thing, I would get into horrible fights with my mother because she refused to buy me expensive clothes just because of the brand. She had bought me,... Read more
First, let me begin this with the fact that I am not a theologian and I’m not trying to be. Also, I am in a hurry so I didn’t pull out my catechism or papal documents to be able to cite them for this blog post. It is just that, a blog post which means this is my own opinion based on years and years of reading Church documents and learning the teachings of the Catholic Church in the Catechism.... Read more
The other day I was talking to my husband about how if Anthony were alive at that very moment, this would be my best life. Everything in that moment was perfect. The problem is that because Anthony is dead, we will never have a chance at perfect happiness in this world ever again. I don’t think we ever did have a chance at that on this side of heaven, but I never realized that until now that it is... Read more
I was pro-choice before becoming Catholic even though I would have said that I was “personally against abortion, but didn’t feel I had the right to tell anyone what to do with their body” and not that I was pro-choice. But when friends would come to me about their unplanned pregnancies, I would always tell them about Anthony and how being his mother was the best thing that ever happened to me so if I could do it, then... Read more
The definition of Exhortation is “communication encouraging someone to do something.” Keep this in mind as I tell you exactly how Pope Francis’ new exhortation titled “Gaudete et exsultate” has wrecked me. The title is translated into “Rejoice and be Glad” and what it is encouraging us to do is to become holy. Pope Francis explains what holiness is and that it is something that we can all be. He goes on to lay out what holiness is, how to attain... Read more
On Good Friday I went to Stations of the Cross at my parish. It is the yearly Holy Week thing that I make it to. This year I wanted to make sure and sit at the Fourth Station, which is the station where Jesus meets His mother Mary. I got flustered as I walked into the Church with my granddaughter who wanted to sit with her Godmother so I couldn’t find the Fourth Station, so I just picked a... Read more
This morning I woke up to the news that a little boy who has been gravely ill might not make it. His family is preparing for the worst news today and they have been praying for a miracle all week long. On this week. Holy Week. They have been surrounded with prayer and have had prayer requests made all over social media and yet the reality is that they could have the worst day of their lives today. All those... Read more
Earlier this week I considered writing up something about how to grieve during Holy Week. It seemed like a good idea because I wanted to be able to reach people who are facing their first Holy Week since the loss of a loved one, but then I realized that I have no clue at all on how to do it. There isn’t a list of things that make this easy. The only thing that got me through my first... Read more
Right now, I am sitting at the 1-year mark of the day between my birthday last year when I signed and paid for my son’s funeral and the 1-year mark of his funeral. A year ago, I was in absolute shock. I read my updates on Facebook from a year ago and I don’t even recognize myself. I see a woman whose life has just blown up and she is talking about needing cleaning supplies. I do not even understand... Read more
Through Broken Roses
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