I never sold or did drugs but I dated drug dealers. I hung out in bootleg bars and played craps with drug dealers and drug addicts. My first husband was a crack addict. I got pregnant at 16 years old by a man who was 21. That is statutory rape, which I didn’t even consider until I was in my 30’s. But more than anything, I have been the nice little kid turned hard because that is the only way... Read more
I was asked to review Eight Whopping Lies by Brian Doyle and I knew nothing about him. I just cracked open the book on my Kindle app one night and started reading it. I was amazed. It is amazing writing that makes you feel connected to the writer as a Catholic even when you don’t agree with what he is saying or even have the memories that he has about growing up Catholic. The essays are each amazing in... Read more
I see discussions where parents are all trying to figure out how to keep their children safe. Safe from drugs, addictions, porn, etc. etc. and I just have an entirely new perspective of those things these days. I obviously do think it’s important for parents to guide their children and to try and mold them into decent, moral and kind people but the thing I think we parents often forget is how we need to have a relationship with our... Read more
Edward Sri’s new book titled “Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth” is a miracle worker. I have not found a book that is as honest, realistic and inspiring as this book is on the topic of praying the rosary. What I usually find are books written for people who already love the rosary and are good at praying it. That is not the case for me. I get distracted, I am bored,... Read more
I met Shaun Morgan, the lead singer of Seether, in 2005 at Hooters in Amarillo, when I enlisted him in helping me with a surprise for my best friend (from South Africa, like the band) who survived cancer. And by “enlist,” I mean I stalked him and weirdly just sat next to him as he drank a beer. Not only did he make my friend’s night by dedicating “Broken” to us, but he was a genuinely great guy. He was... Read more
My best friend Candie Flores and my husband do not read books. They just don’t. So when one of them says “hey, I’m reading this book and it’s really good”, I listen. Last week Candie texted me about this book called “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion and told me that it was really good. It’s about grief and how so many people feel the need to shove their grief down for the sake of others’ happiness. Also... Read more
The first Mass when I realized there was something special about Communion was at my Tio Roy’s parish in Three Rivers, Texas. I was the maid of honor for my cousins’s wedding at the age of fourteen. I had no interest in Catholicism since I considered myself still Baptist at the time. In fact, I was pretty anti-Catholic, but for the first time in my life I looked at my cousin and her new husband receiving Communion and wondered why... Read more
I was just a child myself waiting on my baby to be born. I had no idea what our life together was going to look like. Read more
Last week I wrote about what happened the day that my son Anthony died by committing suicide, it had been five very fast but extremely heavy weeks. Today it’s six weeks and a day after the one year anniversary of my uncle’s death. To sum up how this last year has been let me tell you a story: the neighbor told me yesterday that the cat my dead uncle gave to my now dead kid was found dead months ago... Read more
Five weeks ago at this time I was laying in my bed as my oldest son came into my room without knocking. He sat down in the chair across from me. Right now I’m sitting in my bed and looking at that empty chair as I write this. He sat down and began to talk to me about marrying his girlfriend in the Church. He asked me if he could move back into our house while they went through... Read more
Through Broken Roses
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