Posts by Well-Read Mom
Rediscovering the Feminine Genius
Rediscovering the Feminine Genius Written by Jody C. Benson About three years ago, while studying Edith Stein, a friend expressed her skepticism about the concept of the “feminine genius.” She asked us very directly, “Do you really think there is a feminine genius?” She has a true God-given gift of leading others to see from…
Read MoreReading and the Receptive Capacity of a Woman’s Soul
Reading and the Receptive Capacity of a Woman’s Soul Written by Carolyn Seida “Why do you read novels? Do they change the way you live?” My husband’s question caught me off guard. I don’t remember the answer I gave, but I kept coming back to his question. I was deep into Wuthering Heights, and this…
Read MoreKeeping Vigil: Literature, Companionship, and Grief
In June 2025, my dad, a 56-year-old healthy father of eight kids, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. At the time, I was six months pregnant with our fourth child. My husband had lost his job, gotten a new job, and started a business all within two weeks of my dad’s diagnosis. I was feeling lost and very alone.
Read MoreLearning Happiness
After six fast-paced, exciting, and chaotic years of getting married, landing my first teaching job, welcoming two babies, completing my graduate degree, moving to a new town, and beginning a new job, a quietness settled over my life. As I looked around, I realized I had everything I once believed would fill my heart and bring me happiness: a beautiful family, a supportive community, and a job I loved….
Read MoreRediscovering the Joy of Reading
When I was a little girl, my favorite summer pastime was to sit underneath the tree that my Grandpa Harry had planted in our backyard and read a book that had been carefully selected from the children’s section of the Bexley Public Library. The sunshine illuminated…
Read MoreChristy, Then and Now
Re-Reading Christy as an adult makes me feel as though I’ve known two Christys, or two versions of the same story.
Read MoreThe Holy Work of Reading Together
During the Year of the Teacher, I found that reading with my kids taught me even more than reading with my friends did.
Read MoreEducation & Teachers: A conversation with G. K. Chesterton Scholar Dale Ahlquist
To cap off our Year of the Teacher, we feature a conversation between Marcie Stokman, Colleen Hutt, and Dale Ahlquist, president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
Read MoreIn the Wake of Teachers: Reflecting on the Year of the Teacher
When I watched Janel, Marcie, and Nicole reveal the theme for the 2025-2026 reading year of Well-Read Mom on social media, I cried. The reaction surprised me; it felt almost overly dramatic. But as I sat and reflected on what teachers have meant to me, the deeply emotional response made sense.
Read MoreReflection on The Chosen (1981) Movie Night
Reflection on The Chosen (1981) Movie Night Written by Kathryn Skillett We gathered in the family room, with a huge bowl of popcorn on the table between us, my friends and I. What elements, we asked together before the movie began, were absolutely essential for the movie if we were to call it a successful…
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