A few weeks ago I was cleaning the bookshelf in my living room and I found this picture of me and my husband on the night of New Year’s Eve 2010. I hardly recognized the two people in that picture and the happiness that exuded out of our smiles. We were so happy. I don’t even think that happy is the right word to describe us that night. New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday, we were new Catholics, newlyweds... Read more
I am not exactly sure how the GOP managed to nominate the one person in the entire country who makes Hillary Clinton look good, but they did. I’ve been watching Trump go after the father of a fallen soldier in shock. While Hillary is a bit dismissive of the mother of the man killed in Benghazi, her dismissiveness seems empathetic compared to Trump’s blatant insults to the parents who lost their son in combat about their character and insulting their... Read more
I am off of work today after getting up at 6am since last Sunday for training. Every single day. I know this isn’t a big deal for a lot of women who do this daily and blog and raise kids and are pregnant, but it’s a big deal for me because I haven’t done anything but write and cook dinner for that last 8 years. I was so ready to sit in bed and drink my coffee while watching the... Read more
Awhile back I wrote a blog post saying that I have no parenting advice. Well, I lied. I know that new parents and parents with small kids are like 20 year olds & engaged couples who think they know everything and don’t need unsolicited advice but after my week training with seven 19-23 year olds, I’m gonna dish some out anyway. Let your kids fail. Stop setting such high standards for them and expecting them to never fail at things.... Read more
Three months ago I sat by the bedside in a hospice and witnessed the most terrifying thing of my entire life as I watched my Tio Roy take his last breaths. His death scared me and the sounds, smells and loss of life haunts me. But even in the middle of all that I saw beauty, holiness, God’s Faithfulness, the beginning of a new life and so much joyful love. I learned why I’m Catholic. It’s not to impress anyone,... Read more
I’m going back to waiting tables. I am not really sure how it happened really, but I know that I need the money, my family needs the money and that it’s the only job that I enjoy doing besides writing. Office jobs make me want to jump off a bridge. If you remember, I went back to work last year around this time and waited tables as well as worked an office job. I was not very happy about it.... Read more
As I watched the memorial for the five fallen officers in Dallas yesterday, I was convicted by words from both President George W. Bush and President Obama. Each one had some great things to say as leaders of our country. President Bush said “too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, but judge ourselves by our best intentions” That really got me to think about my own words when discussing the issue of race, police shootings of black males... Read more
“I plead with you–never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” ~ St. Pope John Paul II Yesterday I wrote a piece for Aleteia about the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile being a pro-life matter. I explained my personal experience of fear when getting pulled over by police officers as a Hispanic woman. I wrote it hoping that people would read my words and not add all the other... Read more
A few weeks ago I sat in child support court for almost an entire day and let me tell you, it was a very ugly place to be. There was anger, pain and brokenness all around me. I have been a single mother, I have gotten child support from two men for my kids and I am married to a man who has been screwed over by his ex-wife for child support by lying about the amount she has gotten... Read more
I kept reading people’s opinions about the Stanford rape case to the point of having my nightmares come back. I have been in therapy for about three years now and haven’t had many nightmares about what happened to me as a child and later in life for a very long time. Something about hearing people talk about what it’s like to be a victim of sexual assault/abuse just brought those nightmares back. I laid in bed one night with tears... Read more
Through Broken Roses
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