May 18, 2010
My response to my daughter’s question was posted at Catholic Exchange today.
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May 14, 2010
Last weekend I drove to Atlanta to visit my parents for Mother’s Day — my husband’s gift to me was three days of precious time, so I could see for myself just how my parents are doing. Part of my Mother’s Day gift to my Mom was to go to church with her and Dad. Normally we have the kids with us, and we go to Mass at the little Catholic church across the field from where my parents go. This practice does not thrill my parents, who say they cannot understand why going to a Catholic parish with the kids is so important. The […]
May 2, 2010
My kids tend to zone in on the morbid. It’s wired into them, somehow … and it can pop into a conversation out of nowhere. I’m just saying. Driving past an ambulance, the question comes from the back seat: “Why do babies die, Mom?” That’s a good question. One that isn’t easy to explain even to another adult. But after a few days of thinking about it, I’m not sure I’ll ever come up with a better response than the one I gave off the cuff. “Honey, each time God sends a child into the world, that baby takes three things with him (or her). […]
May 1, 2010
Today is Sarah’s First Communion. I look at her, grinning up at me with that impish grin and chocolate brown eyes, and wonder where the time has gone. Five years ago — give or take a week or two — we finalized the adoption of our two children. We had them baptized, welcoming them into God’s family as well as our own. Sarah has been talking about this day for months. The day she gets to wear the beautiful white dress I picked up for the little girl who would one day be my daughter, even before I knew her name. She gets to wear the […]
April 28, 2010
Recently released by Loyola Press, “Longing to Love” is a poignant reminder of the many pathways of love in the human heart. Muldoon’s memoir was a touching story of his family’s journey to adoption (they adopted two little girls from China), which brought to mind one of my other favorite books, Sheldon Vanauken’s A Severe Mercy. (Both authors attended Oxford, and both stories involve the blossoming relationships of couples who love each other deeply, yet are unable to have children.) As they contemplated becoming parents, Muldoon recounts the qualms he experienced — feelings common to many prospective adoptive parents, though they are usually felt more […]
April 26, 2010
Michelle at Scribbit posted this thought-provoking article that I wanted to share here. Head on over and check it out! I confess I went ahead and took the “Narcissist” test. To my relief, I fell in the “normal” range, though my “authority” score seemed a tad high for my own good. Hmmm … Made me wonder why I so often have difficulty getting my kids to follow where I’m leading! Ah, the dilemmas of parenthood.
April 26, 2010
The adoption community has reacted with outrage and horror at the news of the seven-year-old Russian boy who was sent back to Russia by his adoptive family. While many have been quick to denounce the mother, those who are interested in preventing this from happening again need to consider the broader picture. In particular, we need to consider how these children are treated prior to adoption — and how those experiences impact the long-term emotional and psychological profile of those children. Finally, we need to address what post-adoptive services agencies are required to provide for their families. Carrie Craft at About.com is running an excellent article on […]
March 31, 2010
Tomorrow is the final day of Lent before the Triduum begins. Easter is the one time of the year I miss living in California … especially my “home” parish of Holy Family in South Pasadena where I was welcomed into the Catholic Church. This is where I received the Eucharist for the first time, where I took my confirmation name after a Scottish missionary Amy Carmichael, whose writings and hymns inspired me along the unconventional path I believed God had called me to follow. I was thirty years old at the time. I was restless, caught between the life I wanted and the one that I had because of a […]
March 27, 2010
Have you heard of Pat Gohn’s terrific podcast, “Among Women”? To celebrate her 50th (1 year’s worth) podcast, Pat invited me to talk about faith and family — in particular, how to convey YOUR faith to your family! (The interview begins midway through the podcast at point 21.45.) Craig took this picture of Pat and me at the “New Media Celebration” in San Antonio last summer. She lives in New England, I live in Michigan … cyber friendship at its best. You can listen right on your computer by going to SQPN right here. Enjoy!