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Pray and Do Not Worry
It was late afternoon, and my son and I were running late for an appointment—again. As we walked across the parking lot, a woman approached us. “Would you help me?” she said. I could see the distress...
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The baby at Mass
The toddler sitting in the pew in front of us is fussing. He’s not happy on his mother’s lap, so she hands him to his father. They try every position with him. They pull every toy and snack out of...
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A Little Less Like Me
Sometimes when a message comes my way, I don’t know whether God really means to send it to me. God seems to be fine with that—or at least used to the fact that I can be a little dense. He just keeps...
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Angels Surround Us
Earlier this year, I stopped to let an ambulance go through an intersection, and the driver behind me slammed into the back of my car. I lurched forward in my seat and heard the shattering glass. Then...
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A Trip to the Book Barn
Back when I was dating the man who would become my husband, we would take these long, wonderful drives together. We would often end up somewhere where we could do a little browsing for used books and...
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St. Thérèse: We have only today
“My life is an instant, an hour which passes by; my life is a moment which I have no power to stay. You know, O my God, that to love you here on earth, I have only today.” When I was growing up, we had...
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A father’s arms
Back when I was in middle school, I had a newspaper route. Every day I would sling my newspaper bag over my shoulder, pick up my stack of newspapers on the corner of Hopkins and Pinehurst, and head to...
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Thinking of Eric today
It has been seven years since my brother-in-law Eric died. It doesn’t feel that long, and yet it also feels like longer. Time can be so odd. Today, as we are missing him, I am thinking of how we never...
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God comes to us
I love a celestial phenomenon, but I never thought I would see the Northern Lights. I certainly didn’t imagine I would see them from my front porch, not far outside Baltimore, in a neighborhood full of...
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Haussner’s Memories (25 Years Later)
There were those sweet little chocolate chip muffins that came in the breadbasket. Then there were the decadent platters of food that came steaming out of the kitchen. But what I remember best about...
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100 Masses in a Year
Back in December, my husband told me about a friend who set a goal to spend 100 hours on his boat during 2023. I found myself wondering what I could do 100 times in a year. I told our oldest son that...
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Everyday Memories of Those Who’ve Gone Before
You never know what will make you remember the people you miss. Rainbows make me think of our late neighbors, John and Loretta. We shared such a beautiful rainbow with them one summer afternoon....
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The loss of a pet and a visit with Padre Pio
A few weeks ago, I saw that Padre Pio’s relics were coming to the Baltimore area. I marked my calendar, even though I wasn’t sure I could fit a visit into my schedule. Their closest stop for me would...
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What little we have to give
The other day I was in a meeting at work. We were introducing ourselves to a group of people visiting from outside our organization. When it was time for one of my coworkers to introduce himself, he...
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Preparing for Change
Autumn is saying a slow farewell as we head into winter. The last gold, red, and brown leaves are hanging onto the branches, and the trees are letting them fall. Winter is coming, and there’s a chill...
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The cranberry sauce
As important as the turkey is for Thanksgiving dinner, it’s side dishes that make the meal sing. You have the mashed potatoes and gravy. Then there is the dressing or stuffing. There are all sorts of...
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Gift ideas: Shopping for a six-foot stuffed goose?
Christmas is coming, and ads are everywhere. My social media feed is full of gift suggestions that make me wonder who they think I’m buying gifts for this year. I pause to look at a video of a child...
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Picture Perfect
Every year, my siblings and I assemble a calendar of family photos for our parents. We take turns, so most years I’m not in charge of the gift, which we wrap and place proudly under their Christmas...
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An Advent Invitation
Sometimes we choose our journeys, and sometimes they choose us. Sometimes you know the destination but you’re not quite sure how you’ll get there. Sometimes you blink and suddenly discover you’re...
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Spending Advent with St. Joseph
As a woman and mother, I sometimes feel like I should feel close to Mary during Advent. And I do. But I often find myself looking more to St. Joseph. In so many ways, his story is similar to our...
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