Published in The Only Way To Walk On Water·Jan 10Member-onlyOn Pilgrimage, Looking For AnswersWHEN THE ONLY WAY THROUGH IS ON OUR KNEES “Where’ve you been?” someone asks. “I haven’t seen you for weeks.” Last summer, my husband fell and broke his leg in three places. It took a long time to mend, but his pain only grew worse. By late October, we discovered…Healing3 min readHealing3 min read
Published in Life By Joe·Nov 7, 2022Member-only“His Name Is John The Beloved”COMMUNICATE WHAT REALLY MATTERS My younger son, Joe, can’t speak or use his hands to type or hold a pencil. But he’s an intelligent young man, full of questions. He communicates a lot by eye gaze and body position. …Catholic6 min readCatholic6 min read
Published in The Only Way To Walk On Water·Oct 13, 2022Member-onlyCall and I Will Come To YouLooking For An Amazing Relationship? Ask, Knock, Seek and Find I didn’t stumble across Isaiah 43 until I was in my 40s. It was a revelation: “Because you are precious in My eyes and I love you.” Foreign words, something you’d read in a romance novel. Said to someone else…Bible3 min readBible3 min read
Published in Crow’s Feet·Oct 5, 2022Member-onlyWhen My Mother Finally Stopped Criticizing MeAnd Why I Wish She Hadn’t — I grew up on the Peninsula, just south of San Francisco, back in the 1960s and 70s. It was beautiful, and affordable back then, green hills rising into the Santa Cruz mountains, planes from San Francisco International taking off over the Bay, heading towards newly-built Foster City. We rode our…Family4 min readFamily4 min read
Published in New Creation·Oct 5, 2022Member-onlyLosing Your Identity On the Upper West SideNew Location, New Life. Who Are You Anyway? — When my husband and I moved to New York, my new job involved commuting from Long Island to the Upper West Side, where I worked as a production coordinator for ABC. For a fourth-generation Californian, this was an entirely new lifestyle. My previous commute had been a short, carefree drive…Bible5 min readBible5 min read
Published in The Only Way To Walk On Water·Sep 19, 2022Member-onlyTo Serve And Be InvisibleI spent years working as a cantor/church organist in the rural parish where my children grew up. Once they left home, I remarried and moved further north into the Catskill Mountains. There, my husband and I joined another little Catholic community “up the mountain.” They already had plenty of cantors…Catholic Mass2 min readCatholic Mass2 min read
Published in The Only Way To Walk On Water·Aug 22, 2022Member-onlyAngels, Let Me Know You’re HereListened to the song by Train, Calling All Angels. I need them close, these celestial messengers. Once you experience the exhilarating presence of angels (and realize they’ll come when you ask) you’ll call them often. When I visit my oldest child, I pray for angels to accompany me on the…Angels5 min readAngels5 min read
Published in The Only Way To Walk On Water·Aug 13, 2022Member-onlyThe Battle Belongs To The LordBut You Are The Prize: Choose Your Weapons — You are in a battle. The prize is your soul. Demons press in hard. Are you prepared to fight back? “Choose your weapons!” my oldest grandson bellows, challenging his siblings. They love to play at sword fighting. (Coincidentally, their parents met on the fencing team in college.) I keep a…God3 min readGod3 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Jun 13, 2022Member-onlySurvival Tips From Your Local LibraryHow Sir Ernest Shakleton, Charles Dickens and Mary Howitt helped me overcome years of abuse — Growing up in the 1970s, I was a library kid. It was the only safe place to hang out after school. There were bullies at home and more bullies at school. My parents were teachers; they worked hard all day. …Abuse6 min readAbuse6 min read
Published in Crow’s Feet·Apr 21, 2022Member-onlyThe Hidden Life no one WantsThe blessings you receive, being there for someone else So much of my life is hidden. A secret club, a knowing smile, a few poignant words. I can walk up to another parent whose child/adult is going through a public meltdown and say, “My kid’s louder than yours,” and she’ll…Developmental Disability4 min readDevelopmental Disability4 min read
