Treacherous Brook

It's no secret that our life profoundly and permanently changed on a beautiful Pentecost Sunday about two years ago. Our first grandchild, Bailee was born to her very proud parents and her delighted grandparents! Those of you who have experienced this wonder in your life know what I am talking about. For some of the rest of you who have that to look forward to...it is nothing short of amazing! In no time at all she has captured the hearts of all of her extended family even causing her Auntie Em to move back home from her life over two thousand miles away. All for good reason. This new life brings to us all a new hope; a new take on this life of ours and a fresh sense of purpose and meaning. In the past couple of months, Miss 'B' has started something new. When I or her 'Papa' stop by for a visit, she will come running from wherever she is and say with excitement: "I'm right here"! While sharing this with the rest of the family on a recent vac...

My husband gets a local newspaper generated from the town is parents and grandparents resided. There is a feeling of 'keeping in touch' with his roots in this that I envy. His Mother's extended family still get together every so often for reunions and we've always enjoyed attending and catching up with his cousins and their families. This morning he showed me a reprinted obituary from that area originally published in 1895. My, what a difference a century makes! It was beautiful...throughout the piece, her 'history' kept coming back to the touchpoint of her Christian faith. It got me to thinking of my own 'touchpoint'. Marie Elizabeth Eilers, born this day, January 13, 1898 in St. Louis, Missouri. Grandma was the daughter of man who, at the time, delivered ice in a horse drawn wagon. The scene of just such a man in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis" with Margaret O'Brien playing the part of a girl about Grandma's age always sets my...

In the midst of the exuberance over our Cardinal baseball World Series win last fall, St. Louisians were shocked and saddened, first by the Amber alert issued for a 13 month old boy and then the unbelievable news that his young mother was being arrested in connection with his death. The cold water of reality took our breath away. There are no words to alleviate our sorrow in this situation, no actions that can make up for what was lost in the promising life of this little guy -- and the loss of a bit of our collective humanity. As Director of a crisis pregnancy office, our responsibility to our clients is always foremost in my mind. In truth, we can never know for sure what home situation a young woman may be facing as she leaves our office after a positive pregnancy test. Though we do our best to ascertain what any and all of her needs may be, there are so many variables in our society--so many things once considered unthinkable that have now, sadly, become the norm. I don...

Three pieces of news heard just today. The iPad(R) is to blame for job loss The learned are saying that 'perhaps if we just let the air traffic controllers take little naps.....scheduled during their shifts.... The Cubs are having to give away tickets....(literally going for under a buck!) for their game tonight and it's still not a full house I think we just might be finished. I'll just turn in early tonight. Maybe it will look better in the morning. Doubtful. But, maybe. There was an unusually long line at confessions tonight.

To say I am disheartened about the budget 'talks' in Washington this past week would be an understatement. I'm not an economist. In truth, until computer financial programs came along....I wasn't even big on balancing my checkbook. What I do know is this: You cannot spend more than you make without coming to the end of the road at some point. As a Catholic Christian, I understand that God has something to say about being responsible for our portion of what He has provided. A couple of points here. First, these folks cannot not know what they are doing and, if I remember correctly, that is the definition of sin. You know what you are doing is wrong but you are hell-bent (excuse the pun) on proceeding no matter the outcome. The warning signs are all around. Second, most politicians from both parties are concerned about only one thing: re-election. Listening to President Obama's speech, I realized how bad this problem is. It is akin to handing over everyt...

I have recently been taken in by all of the crude discourse and wrangling in Washington and throughout the country of late. Many decry all the 'hateful rhetoric' .... until they have something to 'spew' ... uh...say. How did we get here? I've been thinking of an experience I had years ago. Funny that now in mid-life yesterday can seem fuzzy...but certain things from the past become crystal clear. When my husband and I were first married, we were helping some friends move into their new place--a small house they would be renting from a doctor who owned the property. They had several friends and the parents of our friend's wife who we hardly knew at the time helping with the move. Shelly (not her real name) was telling us that the only space they could not use was some attic space that the doctor and his family used for storage. When she mentioned that, her mother headed upstairs to check things out. During the process of moving, I visited with this woman a...

The last Christmas preparations were just about finished. It had been a fruitful time of waiting. But then, ten years makes for a long Advent. Traditionally, the Church encourages this Advent, this season of waiting and preparing for our Lord's coming at Christmas to prepare our hearts for His coming. The readings during this season draw us out of ourselves and ask us to look deeper, to make way for the Spirit of the Lord in the joyous season of Christmas. As I reflected on Christmas Eve of 2010, it seem almost impossible that ten years ago that very night, my siblings and I were with trying our best to ‘walk’ with our mother in her last comatose hours on this earth. Just remembering brings me right back to the events of that weekend. Christmas Eve has always been spent with my in-laws; Christmas Day with my family. That weekend was no different. But, on this particular night I was understandably just not able to celebrate with my husband's family as my mother lie in ...