Posts by Well-Read Mom
The Restless Human Heart in the Search for Happiness
Yesterday, while driving my lively entourage from school, I entered into a dispute with my twelve-and-a-half-year-old son. Frustrated at his mother’s cruel infringements upon, what I considered, his all-too-free speech, he passionately retorted: “What about the First Amendment?” I could relate to my son’s bristling at limitations upon personal desire. Practically, all it takes is a mother’s encounter with her unruly toddler, wailing in exasperation as a contraband item is loosened from his iron grip to vividly illustrate the universal struggle to tame our desires. From our earliest moments, we consider submission to authority as infringing upon our freedom and, subsequently, our happiness.
Read MoreSeen, Known, and Loved
Seen, Known, and Loved Written by Jill Rasmussen When Well-Read Mom announced the Year of the Seeker, I was immediately drawn to the featured quote by Saint Mother Teresa: “From the moment a soul has the grace to know God, she must seek.” It reminded me of the very first paragraph of the Catechism of the Catholic…
Read MoreThis Child’s Mama
There was a woman who, after having six children and two miscarriages, gave all her baby gear away, from clothes—to cradle—to crib. Then, at 42, she learned that she was pregnant. Though she loved being a mother, and the initial surprise of this news sparked joy, the discovery soon turned to heaviness, and she was gripped by fear and uneasiness.
Read MoreThe Little Way of Motherhood
While, undoubtedly, I have received countless gifts throughout my marriage, these blessings have certainly not always been what I envisioned. Oddly enough, the blessings I have received have very often completely eroded my old conceptions of happiness. More frequently than not, these gifts have come in the form of crosses—trials sent to reshape my own heart.
Read More“Friendship? Yes Please!”
In addition to the maternal embrace, prayers, and tears of Saint Monica, Saint Augustine needed the wisdom, presence, and friendship of Saint Ambrose! He needed a home and a community to find God and serve Him.
Read MorePax Revisited
I realized that I was, in fact, trying to protect my children. This is a natural response, and it is largely our responsibility to do so. But it’s also our responsibility to equip our children, especially as they get older.
Read MoreSeverity As Merciful As Love
How often do we create fortresses around idols: things, relationships, or even people that, while beautiful and admirable in their proper sphere, can potentially obscure the true End? We weigh the cost of giving with the toll it exacts on our happiness, and too often, we favor the path of contentment over the “Severe Mercy” of death: death to self, to contentment, to ease, to ambitions and hopes.
Read MoreMina and Mattie: Examples of Femininity
I am due with a new little one any day now (prayers appreciated!), and the very clear reality of labor and birth is looming over me pretty much non-stop. While I must admit that I am battling some fear, I am also incredibly aware of my posture in front of this reality. This baby is coming, and only I can walk the road before me. It is a task that I have been given, and I must either grudgingly accept or gratefully receive. Both of these options are open to me, but it seems that there is one that offers more freedom. Freedom for me is in the active surrender of saying yes.
Read MoreSeeking the Beauty of Trees
On the First Sunday of Lent, one of our parish’s deacons gave the homily. He spoke about how, when his family first moved to Kansas City one summer, he was struck by the beauty of the trees. He had moved from the desert and wasn’t accustomed to so much green. Now, of course, the trees aren’t green. He likened the bleak, bare winter landscape to the Lenten season. We repent and let go, just as the trees let go of their leaves, he said, trusting that come Easter, come spring, we can glory in the Resurrection. Clearly, there is something going on here. It makes sense to me that trees are meaningful to Christians.
Read MoreHow Boldness is Both Necessary and Attainable
If “true grit” is an unflappable determination in the face of any circumstances, however horrific, challenging, or dire, the question remains: is this a natural gift or an attainable virtue?
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