July 25, 2007
July 25, 2007
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The Power of a Name: Review of “Girls Who Went Away” (Penguin)

It took us three years to adopt our two foster children; our first official act as their parents was to have them baptized, so they could be a part of God’s family, too. As we got ready for the big day, we explained that they would each have new names on their baptism certificates (and, a bit later, on their newly issued birth certificates). “Why do I get a new name?” Christopher wanted to know. “You’re getting two new names, actually,” I told him. “We kept your first name to honor your birth family; your middle name will be ‘Robert,’ like your dad’s; and your […]
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July 14, 2007
July 14, 2007
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ABC’s of Abuse-Proofing Your Child…

… has been posted on CatholicExchange.com. If you know of someone who needs to read it, please pass it on. (To reprint, be sure to include the following credit line: “Copyright 2007 Heidi Hess Saxton. Reprinted by permission. Contact author at hsaxton@christianword.com”. (The young woman on the right is my niece, Kendra.)
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July 12, 2007
July 12, 2007
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“You Are God … and Who Am I?” Reflections on Faith and Identity

I confess my first draft of this article started out very differently. Prior to the release of the Holy Father’s motu proprio, a question weighed heavily on my mind: Would the Latin Mass bring an unseasonable chill to the “Springtime of Evangelization” proclaimed by John Paul II? As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. Since the Latin form of the rite remains the “extraordinary” form, there are still plenty of opportunities for seekers to experience the holy sacrifice of the Mass in their own language. (And if it happens that a visitor stumbles on a Latin Mass, he or she can still hear the […]
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June 1, 2007
June 1, 2007
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Holy Longing

I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.” Therese of Lisieux A few weeks ago a friend posted this> link about a book written about a former priest, who (brace yourself) “left the Catholic clergy in 1971 to marry Jackie, a former nun.” My thoughts went immediately to two men of my own acquaintance … One of them left seminary in the 70s, halfway through, and married a dear friend of mine. The two of them have since been actively involved in parish work, leading group after group of “lost lambs” (myself […]
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June 1, 2007
June 1, 2007
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The HPV Vaccine: Should Your Daughter Get It?

As I anticipated, my article on Catholic Exchange on this subject drew a fair amount of fire. (Also not a few attagirl’s from some of my readers (thanks, gals!). For better or worse, I was in Chicago when the article hit cyberspace, and so by the time I read the ensuing exchange, the verbal sparring had pretty much died out. I did have one note in my e-mail box from a concerned reader. I’d like to share it here, along with my response, as my final thought on the subject. Although I appreciate that people have a wide variety of views on the vaccine itself, […]
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May 18, 2007
May 18, 2007
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Going on a Bear Hunt….

Christopher is reading this classic in his first-grade reader. I don’t know if it’s a classic in the technical sense (generally defined as a book most intelligent people own but have never actually read unless forced to by a third party such as a teacher or other guy you are doing your best to impress) … but it brings up pleasant memories. My mother, you see, was the original Campfire Girl. She knew a million little ditties, complete with actions and sound effects, to keep children entertained for hours on end. (Since we had no television, it didn’t take much to keep us entertained back […]
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April 24, 2007
April 24, 2007
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Blue Moon: Raising Depression Free Children

It can come out of nowhere, and flatten like roadkill. Or it can send out little signals: The chaos, the irritibility, the restlessness, the scalp prickling and pulling tighter than a bongo. Then the tears start falling on the inside … and (finally, mercifully) on the outside, where they start to do some good. If you’re prone to depression, knowing when and how to get help is imperative not only for your own peace of mind, but for that of your entire family. One book I’ve found especially helpful is Kathleen Hockey’s Raising Depression-Free Children, which offers practical help not only on how to keep […]
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April 19, 2007
April 19, 2007
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Where Did I Come From?

Non-traditional (that is, non-bio) parents all experience it sometime: the clutch in the pit of the stomach the day their adopted children look up with big, trusting eyes, asking to know the story of how they came to be… where they came to be. Depending on their ages, we instinctively shield them from the less palatable parts of the story – especially the parts that are potentially damaging to their budding little selves. A six-year-old does not need to be reminded of the gruesome details that led him to be taken away from his birth parents. And a four-year-old may simply be seeking the assurance […]
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April 14, 2007
April 14, 2007
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Potty Talk

Congratulations are in order. Sarah has learned to spell her first word: F-A-R-T. OK, so she had a little help from her (*giggle*) older brother. “Sarah,” I admonish her. “That’s a bathroom word, and young ladies don’t run around spelling bathroom words.” (Man, I sound like such a priss … but manners have to start somewhere, right?) She catches my eye, trying to assess just how serious her infraction was. “How about ‘toot’? Is ‘toot’ a bathroom word?” The girl is only five, and already she is running mental laps around her mother. “Just stop saying ‘F-A-R-T,’ OK?” It amazes me, how fast they pick […]
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