Thirty-four years ago, I was a first-time mother barely surviving my liberated effort to “do it all”. I moved frantically from long days as a newspaper reporter into long nights of a colicky baby, trying to prove myself perfect in both arenas. I wanted to quit the job, but I was fighting the voices of …
What I learn from hunger
I'm cutting up strawberries to break the fast of Good Friday and, because I'm thinking about everything except this exact moment in time, I find myself lifting a strawberry up to my mouth. Luckily, just before I pop it in, I remember: I'm fasting. And the sun is still high in the sky and, for …
The Nana-Love drug
My favorite person in the world right now is my 2.5-year-old grandson. Creepy as it sounds, I'm in Nana love and, unlike the normal infatuation adults go through, this isn't wearing off even though we’re technically past the honeymoon phase. This has come as quite a shock to me because throughout my daughter’s pregnancy, I …
Opioid crisis up close
It’s not hard to spot the drug addicts at my local public transit center: They all wear the same uniform of dark, dank and disheveled and they're almost always asking for money. So I knew as I walked toward a couple pacing by a bench, that they'd probably have a request. But I walked toward …
Pope Frances & good-enough Catholicism
It didn’t take long for people to become apoplectic in regards to Pope Francis’ addresses to Congress and the United Nations. Self-labeled conservatives took to the interwebs to claim the Pope is not really a Christian and/or is ignorant and cowardly on the real issues. Give them time and they'll insist that him offering a …
Kim Davis: reality check on Christian persecution
I haven't blogged for nine months, mostly because I fell off the blogging horse after a rather traumatic opening to my year. The longer I was away from it, the more I questioned whether I had anything unique to add to cultural discussions. This insecurity will be familiar to other people of my Tribe, because …
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Running to Mass in the rain
Last month, near mid-December in the middle of my work day, I ran to daily Mass. It wasn't for exercise, and it wasn't because I was a few minutes late - although I was, as I frequently am. And it wasn't because the desert sky was pouring rain and I had no umbrella, although it …
This is what God looks like
I've battled depression on and off for nearly 30 years. During that time, I've had three bad episodes, week-long events when I needed help with my family life so I could make it to doctor's appointments and throw darts at a medication chart to see what help might present itself to me. I've also had …
What you learn on the bus
The great thing about riding the bus is having no distractions, and thus, plenty of time to think. This is also the problem with riding the bus: Having plenty of time to think. If you're prone to rumination like me, sometimes thinking isn't the best idea. But every so often, I decide to put down …
Reading the Bible in public
We're in the homestretch with Lent, with just two more weeks until Easter. This week will be difficult but Holy Week will be better, due to the oh-so-close feeling of being inches away from Easter Sunday. (Forgive me Father, for I am a Lenten whiner.) I've been pretty good with my Lenten sacrifices, but not …
Renee Wrote This 