Turning motherhood into an idol can lead us down some dangerous paths, and I found an illustration of this truth in an unlikely place: the new Marvel Cinematic Universe movie "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness."
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Book Review: “For Their Sake I Consecrate Myself”
Spiritual biographies can be a little intimidating sometimes. When they’re written by an overly enthusiastic admirer, they can show all of the sainthood and none of the struggle. “For Their Sake I Consecrate Myself,” a biography of Sister Maria Bernadette of the Cross written by Jadwiga Stabińska, OSBap, could have been such a biography—but wasn’t.
“Mama Prays”: A Realistic, Encouraging Devotional for Catholic Mamas
Being a mom is hard. Being a Catholic mom is, in some ways, especially hard. (How on earth do you raise a practicing Catholic in our culture? I'm not sure yet!) In many other ways, though, Catholicism gives us comfort, strength, and wisdom, and I don't know how I would survive motherhood without it. It … Continue reading “Mama Prays”: A Realistic, Encouraging Devotional for Catholic Mamas
My Handmaid’s Uniform
It struck me as ironic that women use the "Handmaid's Tale" costume to protest the supposed oppression of women by a Church who reveres the most famous handmaid as Queen of Heaven and Earth. It also made me reflect on the accessory (if you will) that I wear day and night in honor of that handmaid.
Healing Is a Process
Ten and a half months after having my daughter, and my fibromyalgia symptoms are still here, and I’ve been not only struggling with how to deal with those symptoms while caring for an active infant who’s in about the 95th percentile for size. I’ve also been struggling with feeling like a liar and a fraud. Do I need an asterisk by every interview I’ve done and every article I’ve written about my health journey?
Reflecting on Virtue and Vice With Jane Austen and Haley Stewart
I preordered Haley Stewart's new book "Jane Austen's Genius Guide to Life: On Love, Friendship, and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be," from Ave Maria Press as soon as it was available. I began it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday. Don't read into how quickly I read it, though: This book … Continue reading Reflecting on Virtue and Vice With Jane Austen and Haley Stewart
The Annunciation and Fertility Awareness: Mary as a Model of Surrender
I think that teaching us to trust God might be the whole point of natural family planning. Which is where the Annunciation comes in.
A Catholic Perspective on Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
When I first started seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist, I was very unsure. My physical therapist had a "Support Planned Parenthood" sticker on her laptop and told me she was a lapsed Catholic who believed that the Catholic Church had changed its position on masturbation (it hasn't, for the record). I also had some … Continue reading A Catholic Perspective on Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
The Emotional Work of Managing Chronic Illness: 3 Tips for When You Lose a Trusted Medical Provider
Living with chronic illness (physical and/or mental) is hard. There's the actual physical toll it takes on your body and there's the associated emotional distress that comes with being in pain or feeling ill. This week, I experienced another dimension, which is the mental exhaustion that can accompany the logistics of managing a chronic illness.
Favorite Reads (and Re-reads) of 2021
2021 ... what a year. Thanks to downtime in between leaving my job and having my baby, pregnancy insomnia, and lots of time on the couch snuggling a newborn, I read more this year than I have in the last few years. They weren't a lot of bestsellers or new releases, but I got a lot out of them. Here they are, in no particular order.
Everyday Roses 