Browsed by
Tag: gratitude

Being Present to November: It’s Not Christmas Yet

Being Present to November: It’s Not Christmas Yet

If I had to guess the calendar date based on my favorite store’s décor, I would get it wrong. Fall pumpkins, cornucopias, and leafy garlands are nowhere to be found. Only messy remnants of Halloween remain on the clearance racks. Instead, I see Christmas trees, twinkle lights, and stockings. Signs and symbols of December, not early November. Whenever I see Christmas coming too early, I feel rushed and anxious. Suddenly, I think I am behind, as if I’ve missed a…

Read More Read More

Gratitude: The Virtue of Togetherness

Gratitude: The Virtue of Togetherness

Today is Day 10 of Resetting the Rhythms of Life, and our focus is gratitude. Often, when we feel weary or imbalanced, everything can overwhelm us. The calendar looks too full and our inbox is overflowing. But the refrigerator is empty, because the week was too busy for a grocery trip. We can feel like failures, because we can’t seem to keep it together. And yes, this affects our loved ones. Today, let’s pause in this moment. Let’s not try…

Read More Read More

Five Mother’s Day Gifts That Keep on Giving

Five Mother’s Day Gifts That Keep on Giving

The vocation of motherhood is a beautiful one. In Mulieris Dignitatem, St. John Paul II writes, “Each and every time that motherhood is repeated in human history, it is always related to the Covenant which God established with the human race through the motherhood of the Mother of God.” Wow! To think that every pregnancy points to the Incarnation is nothing less than amazing! As beautiful as motherhood is, it also can be difficult and even painful. [Motherhood] is constituted more…

Read More Read More

Four Ways to Cultivate a Spirit of Thanksgiving All Month Long

Four Ways to Cultivate a Spirit of Thanksgiving All Month Long

A wave of discouragement rushed over me, as I walked out of the doctor’s office. News of another health issue left me down and discouraged. I felt tired of following the breadcrumb trail. I wanted to be done with diagnoses, recommendations, feeling fatigued and in pain. The sadness lingered as I pulled myself out of bed the next morning. It was business as usual for this mom. The children needed me, whether I felt good or not. As I pulled…

Read More Read More