Everyday Musings

photo by: Lawren Rose Photograhy When Brooke Fowler was admitted to the hospital 23 weeks into her pregnancy, she never imagined she’d be giving birth to her son, Charlie, just one week later.  Brooke was diagnosed with hypertension two weeks prior, and prescribed bed rest at home. But while on bedrest, she noticed that her […]

Santa Claus gets some bad press these days. I encountered plenty of it while trying to sort out Christmas traditions for my own young family. He’s too materialistic with all those toys. The secular icon detracts from the Christ Child. The fantasy ruins critical thinking skills. The deception breaks the bond of trust between parent […]

“Hitherto the Herb of Grace had been to them a summer home; they had known it only permeated with sun and light, flower-scented, windows and doors open wide. But now doors were shut, curtains drawn to hide the sad, grey dusk. Instead of the lap of the water against the river wall they heard the […]

Growing up, holiday parties were always big family affairs. I have a large extended family, with a dozen aunts & uncles (and even more cousins). Think standing room only in the kitchen, kids weaving through the maze of adults, laughter rising above the buzz of conversation & more Italian food than you could stomach.  As […]

I just want to start by saying: our family has never done a service project together. If you’re thinking, “me either,” that’s consoling, because maybe I’m not the only one. I’ll admit it has not been high on my priority list.  Sure, we’ve brought the occasional meal to a family friend welcoming a new baby, […]

My one-and-a-half year old daughter has recently learned where her belly is. When asked about it, she likes to lift her shirt up and tap it emphatically. And she’s taken to doing the same to my stomach. She laughs as she watches it jiggle with each little tap of the hand. But if I’m being […]

Ding goes the alarm, in goes the pill. Or should I say, “the Pill.” One tiny little tablet filled with synthetic hormones and the promise of freedom.  This simple, daily routine is commonplace for millions of women from all walks of life. And understandably so. It’s been marketed for generations as that which delivers a […]

Leah Darrow—international speaker, author, and host of the Do Something Beautiful Podcast—has announced registration for one of the first online learning programs for Catholic women.  “Do something beautiful for God. Do it with your life. Do it everyday. Do it in your own way. Just do it.” – Mother Teresa Every week for three years, […]

Photo courtesy of Briana Williams Briana Williams was 23 years old, a second year law student at Harvard, when she found out she was pregnant. Her story has garnered a lot of media attention, because despite the obvious challenges of being pregnant and later a single mother, while working through one of the most rigorous […]

It’s everywhere. At the grocery store, in work meetings, and even on the highway. It’s talked about in the news, and discussed amongst friends. Our smartphone addiction has become awful — and we know it (more here and here). We all have anecdotes of the absurd, careless, or downright dangerous behavior we’ve witnessed (or committed!) while […]