tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90832282619896955262024-03-12T16:05:47.724-07:00All Creatures Great and CrazyMeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-30247538914413044282023-05-22T21:00:00.001-07:002023-05-22T21:00:00.167-07:00The Fertility of Women<p> <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;">Often when we think of fertility, women with many children come to mind.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rcStnJ62mpfpcQSCFqIn4c1cDxGn0voZX4ZegNMlQLDlCtJRZBo6Jafrn_76mF8cSyfdkB11kIKKmS28Kii62JGPk35G5qK7tN4EZrN6IVcuFQXfvfCi_JAb8xuk6VW9tdtNL-jrUGHsipoFRwiwM-xsfHL088lgycRgdkZAdV3WXpNXVq8_U8tA/s1280/dandelion-808255_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rcStnJ62mpfpcQSCFqIn4c1cDxGn0voZX4ZegNMlQLDlCtJRZBo6Jafrn_76mF8cSyfdkB11kIKKmS28Kii62JGPk35G5qK7tN4EZrN6IVcuFQXfvfCi_JAb8xuk6VW9tdtNL-jrUGHsipoFRwiwM-xsfHL088lgycRgdkZAdV3WXpNXVq8_U8tA/s320/dandelion-808255_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This spring, I had an experience when I was at a basketball game and a Mom made a comment to me how, life was harder for her, because she had 3 children. It was not the most charitable comment. Little did she know that I was grieving that we had tried adoption for 5 years, unsuccessfully. We were open to many different types of children, and with multiple diagnoses, and it just wasn’t in God’s plan. I also had just had a miscarriage.<br /><br />I was feeling kind of like a failure. You see, as women, I think we all have a calling from God to be fertile. Fertility is part of our feminine genius. I was feeling pretty lousy because I was feeling called to be fertile, but thought I just wasn’t able. It was a gift I longed for and didn’t have. All around me I had been seeing fertile women for the past 10 years, and some of them were even now becoming grandmothers. I am always joyful to see a pregnant woman or hear a pregnancy announcement, but there is a feeling of grief that I experience with it.<br /><br />With sorrow, meditation and prayer, God was able to focus my perspective further on what His call to fertility means. “Be fertile and multiply”. It actually applies to all of us, particularly women. While not all of us have the gifts of numerous children, we all have the gift of relationships. Women are especially called to be strong in their relationships. If you just look at young kids, often the boys are playing and the girls are talking.<br /><br />God showed me fertility when my husband got a flat tire and I was on the other side of the state- he needed help and I was over 2 hours away. My fertility in relationships helped him to get help with getting a ride and getting my son to school. Our roots, and the roots I had nurtured with friendships helped hold my family strong.<br /><br />God has shown me fertility in multiple women in multiple stages of life- teachers, principals, wise women in the knitting group. These women all continue to be fertile. They continue to plant, spread and fertilize God’s love. I have a wonderful biological mother and I’ve also been blessed with many spiritual mothers and sisters who have helped me to grow into the woman I am called to be.<br /><br />I saw fertility in the relationships my family is moving away from. Our family entered a difficult discernment that it was time to move closer to family and away from our solid friendships here. I think of it much like my bionic raspberry bush that I’m moving from. The shoot is nourished, grows and made strong and then can be transplanted. We are going to miss our friendships, but hopefully will stay in touch. Our families have grown, been through difficult times and have accepted each other’s quirks. We’ve been there for each other. My son has learned what it is to have a strong Catholic community all around him- he fortunately knows nothing else.<br /><br />I see my fertility in the young women I work with at work. It may not be known, but other than the DVM’s, most vet offices are composed of a lot of employees in their early 20’s. I’ve made them laugh over the years and according to them I always bring a joyful attitude to their environment. Apparently I’m diplomatic with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Or, the time recently when overwhelmed with moving and trying to live out of a garage because our house was staged with items that did not belong to us, I showed up to work with 2 different shoes. At least they were black. Although 1 had stitching visible and the other didn’t. Also, one was shorter than the other (fortunately my guardian angel positioned the shorter heel on my longer leg and vice versa). I laughed at myself and showed them how an intelligent doctor who can save lives sometimes has difficulty dressing herself…. Sometimes, it’s not until we switch seasons or locations that we realize what a difference we make in other’s lives. The fertility of women is much more rich than what you might first think. Sometimes we are called to plant seeds, many of us are called, at one season or another to fertilize, nourish and strengthen each other. We are to provide the fertile ground. For a seed that is not planted in fertile ground….Matthew 13<br /><br />Sometimes, I see our fertility in compost. Sometimes our struggles don’t have a rosy ending and sometimes we don’t make the right choices. These struggles though can provide compost for others. I think as I switch seasons in life I will still bloom, but also provide compost for others, and I will rejoice that this may be God’s will for my journey. I laugh and think how rich the compost will become as I age and I will be content with that.<br /><br />The fertility of women is a beautiful gift. I’m so happy that I’ve had the opportunity to witness, be strengthened, fertilized and supported in this beautiful garden of so many women. Either nurturing with consolation, inspiration or sharing of beauty we are called to give and grow together. Some of us are dandelions, some of us are orchids and roses, we are all called to be a special one of a kind flower in God’s beautiful garden.<br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-88347831321015863802023-05-16T08:40:00.001-07:002023-05-16T08:40:43.478-07:00Service Dogs<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">When you hear the word “Service Dog” does your mind immediately go to a Seeing Eye Dog for the Blind?</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This is probably historically the most common type of service dog.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">There’s a whole lot of categories for what is considered a “Working Dog”.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">These are highly trained, highly skilled Canines who are exceptional at their work and perform priceless rescues and support.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexeLx7RbszG8sPUyeEnc8EdsIpkaNxnUSCMy7lF2L1qQNpwJeJA0VFwx9NziSuV935-WaiwQsXZFNTiZ3eqtzT5mMk7ldmnU0Umev-pfIKLe4HzZs_sIByM1ntSSeFzx0O4vBMVpShMZf87jH723CPelxNftLxdZCh8_9A_ml2Su3LO1RsyNMZKjB/s1280/puppy-622438_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexeLx7RbszG8sPUyeEnc8EdsIpkaNxnUSCMy7lF2L1qQNpwJeJA0VFwx9NziSuV935-WaiwQsXZFNTiZ3eqtzT5mMk7ldmnU0Umev-pfIKLe4HzZs_sIByM1ntSSeFzx0O4vBMVpShMZf87jH723CPelxNftLxdZCh8_9A_ml2Su3LO1RsyNMZKjB/s320/puppy-622438_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Whether it’s protecting our service people overseas as military dogs (I once treated a dog who had saved a whole platoon by alerting them to danger) or a dog who rescues people from being buried in an avalanche these dogs are COOL! There are many different types of rescue dogs, search and rescue, lifeguard swimming dogs and more.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I would like to focus on the medical service dogs though. These are different than what people call “Emotional Support Animals” which can be a somewhat more controversial topic (I will avoid it for now). Medical service dogs can help a blind person, help a deaf person be alerted to a doorbell or alert to other noises. They can also help support people with PTSD and anticipate an anxiety attack or a situation that could be threatening. They can also help predict a diabetic crisis and anticipate a seizure coming on. Dogs can be used for epileptic children to allow them to go to school so teachers can be alerted when a seizure is happening and provide assistance. This works due to their amazing sense of smell. They can actually smell metabolic brain changes that lead up to a seizure.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Dogs are amazing (and no, I don’t think this is a bias). Their sense of smell is extraordinary and most dogs have a high capability for relationship. So the next time you are in a store, or somewhere else and you see a working dog be open to knowing that you may just be looking at a hero (chances are if it’s growling or showing bad manners, that’s probably not the case). Service dogs are supposed to have impeccable manners and this is part of why you do not pet or distract a service dog when they are wearing a harness. When they are wearing a harness, they are doing their job, when their handler takes the harness off, they can be a “normal” dog.<br /><o:p></o:p></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-41928197828735118542022-11-11T16:02:00.003-08:002022-11-11T16:02:00.164-08:00Sometimes you find yourself saying things your parents say...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmlWZFTdzr1su1nGwYGVa3MPL8KCq-GcVU0M-e2D_Aj3Zs-6perH-BC8TSvILR1OlmCML8q9JaSS4fC-8--DpD9mzvj7BAGUXAlZkgsKDzL6-dF9JVRwoQGzmswpBI8kFckP2lllh6AXHFa9K-gTJ9J5glsa3_6FbGqTh1yBLC38pI1CjOTd5F1jN/s1920/baby-2416718_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmlWZFTdzr1su1nGwYGVa3MPL8KCq-GcVU0M-e2D_Aj3Zs-6perH-BC8TSvILR1OlmCML8q9JaSS4fC-8--DpD9mzvj7BAGUXAlZkgsKDzL6-dF9JVRwoQGzmswpBI8kFckP2lllh6AXHFa9K-gTJ9J5glsa3_6FbGqTh1yBLC38pI1CjOTd5F1jN/s320/baby-2416718_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Finding yourself repeating to your children things your parents used to tell you can be rather cliche.<p></p><p>A while back though, I found myself saying something I think our Heavenly Father may have been telling me. I heard it through my own mouth telling my son.</p><p>"My job isn't to make you happy. It's to make you good." Now obviously, God wants our happiness and parents want their children to be happy. But the primary objective is that happiness is the fruit of goodness.</p><p>My son was advocating for video games as a way to happiness. Unfortunately our family (and I will go ahead and indict all of our family) fell into some bad habits during the pandemic. Whether it's social media, video games or just scrolling the phone (thankfully my son doesn't have his own phone yet), we were losing our way.</p><p>I explained to my son it was for everyone's good that we got re-centered on what mattered, and our time is valuable.</p><p>I'm not sure how much my son actually processed, but I processed my words. I ask God for things that make me happy- that's a pretty natural thing for a child to do. I need to understand though that just because He says "No" is not because he doesn't want me to be happy. It's because he wants me to be good. I am meant to be Holy, as we all are. Sometimes wonderful blessings are not given to us. Sometimes suffering is a part of our journey. It is not because the Lord wants us to be unhappy. He has greatness in store for us. We need to rely on his paternal wisdom and the faith that some day happiness- eternal happiness is the fruit of our goodness.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-82214127642464247622022-11-08T15:10:00.001-08:002022-11-08T15:10:22.294-08:00Some more good books...<p>I meant to share these this summer, but things have been busy and I've been trying to keep up with my reading. For some reason I'm really drawn to historical fiction. Although the times can be dark, I love the stories or romance and heroism and it reminds me no matter what difficulties we are dealing with, humanity has gotten through many difficulties before. I think my favorites on this list are the Codebreakers Secret and The Last White Rose. The Last White Rose might make it to the top of my recommendations as it's the first time in 40 years I actually understand what the War of The Roses was about!</p><p><br /></p><p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-White-Rose-Novel-Elizabeth/dp/B09PFBJZ98?crid=2GP5PBR6MTPST&keywords=the+last+white+rose+alison+weir&qid=1667948806&sprefix=The+Last+White+Rose%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=1ef8b15507682ca07ba2c8e61ae01e90&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B09PFBJZ98&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B09PFBJZ98" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
The Last White Rose</p><p>By Alison Weir</p><p><span face="Raleway-Regular, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well written historical fiction. Great way to bring history to life, shows the complexity of the characters and of the time. This is a very enjoyable read. It's not a quick read, it has a lot of detail and suspense and political intrigue. This book caused me to look back and see what the real history of the times were. It's fascinating the murder, mystery and political intrigue that were common in those days. I'd always heard about the "War of the Roses" but now have a greater grasp of it. This is a well-written book that is intriguing and a good read.</span> </p><p><br /></p><p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Codebreakers-Secret/dp/B09PQMNGVD?crid=UAUO2VR6FLOW&keywords=the+codebreakers+secret&qid=1667948893&s=audible&sprefix=The+Codebreakers%2Caudible%2C83&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=005dab6716dbf980cf3470741eea33f1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B09PQMNGVD&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B09PQMNGVD" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
The Codebreakers Secret</p><p>By Sara Ackerman</p><p>Great book! Engaging, once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It seems like there are two different stories between wartime Hawaii and the wartime 60's, but of course the stories are interwoven. A little bit of mystery, a great love story, throw in some suspense and murders this is a great book and I would read it again. I also love all the details and language from Hawaii as well as the strong female characters. I look forward to reading other books by this author.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Guernica-epic-historical-novel-ebook/dp/B09PGG8MK7?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1667948931&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=68ca3dcb56fbfded674e457be4e96c34&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B09PGG8MK7&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B09PGG8MK7" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
The Girl From Guernica </p><p>By Karen Robards</p><p><br /></p><p>This was a great story. A little romance action and suspense. A, strong intelligent female character and an engaging and unpredictable story line. I overall really enjoyed reading this book. The book started fast and then slowed a little, but the great start helped get me engaged and want to keep reading. A enjoyable read, one caution would be there are some parts of the book that are intense and show the gruesomeness of war, so not for people who are sensitive to that.</p><p><br /></p><p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Emotionally-Strong-Boys-Tools-ebook/dp/B09LWTK2QW?crid=1G5R0UUB4HL6A&keywords=raising+emotionally+strong+boys&qid=1667948991&s=digital-text&sprefix=Rasing+emotionally+strong+%2Cdigital-text%2C83&sr=1-1&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=73bfa51432d527367979769f48872deb&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B09LWTK2QW&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" ></a><img src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=B09LWTK2QW" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
Raising Emotionally Strong Boys</p><p>By David Thomas</p><p><br /></p><p>This book seemed to come to me at just the right time! I love how its a fairly easy and quick read, but has lots of nuggets and tips. The chapters are organized well with action items at the end of each chapter. This book actually prompted us to go out and get some boxing gloves for my son (for him to box the couch when frustrated). I think this is a book I will read and re-read. Great for parents of young kids all the way up to young adults. I love how this also incorporates Christian teaching and morality throughout the book. It would be helpful for secular and non secular readers, but it's great to have a modern parenting book that has a Biblical anchor.</p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><br /></p><p>These books were provided as advance copies in exchange for my honest review.</p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111; font-size: 14.039999961853027px;">“I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”</span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-84906643758416742062022-11-04T00:00:00.001-07:002022-11-04T00:00:00.162-07:00Remembering to ask for help...<p> I don't typically think of myself as someone who has a problem asking for help. As a short person, I'm always asking tall people for help. I also have to ask for help when I'm working. Handling a dangerous animal, working fast to save a life, you learn to ask for help for everyone's sake.</p><p>I'm not too bad at asking for help from my husband or son either, but when it comes to other people, I'm less likely to ask for help. I tend to feel guilty, or know that other people are just as busy, or busier than I am. I like to offer to help others. My husband often sees how my effort to help others will sometimes put our life off track momentarily, but I like to think of it as happy chaos.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhrkdlbyrqObWTkquFmTHY6v5DZf181IgZO9JyznPKgJ81HzdKsoRJR-npC7iwUdBCL409Cy3Ntqw7Pj8i_v2GJXKZrkCQ1BIOZ2LNEMLRCwrE7O2G9zYgPTv7l46n-kFFVGSvtVtIRxox3nIUAprRtXHRlYhvMRV_3IIQ_KKGZO5uqsG4Eq-KLDb/s640/presents-153926_640.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="640" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhrkdlbyrqObWTkquFmTHY6v5DZf181IgZO9JyznPKgJ81HzdKsoRJR-npC7iwUdBCL409Cy3Ntqw7Pj8i_v2GJXKZrkCQ1BIOZ2LNEMLRCwrE7O2G9zYgPTv7l46n-kFFVGSvtVtIRxox3nIUAprRtXHRlYhvMRV_3IIQ_KKGZO5uqsG4Eq-KLDb/s320/presents-153926_640.png" width="320" /></a></div>A friend of ours last night asked if we could pick up her son, ( a good friend of my son from school) as she had an unexpected meeting. She was apologetic. I told her, "Why don't we pick him up and keep him for a playdate? My son would love to have a playdate with him." This worked out well and his Mom is getting to work uninterrupted this afternoon. We have some other family friends, that in the past couple years, I'm more likely to ask for them to help with pick up from school, etc.. For a while, we were paying the older sister in the family to babysit (even though the parents were driving, etc.). The family told us we didn't need to pay for a babysitter. Our son had become like family to them and they were happy to help. They are used to having the benefits of extended family in the area, whereas our family and our friend from last night are not. I was thinking today that, for a lot of people and especially my generation and before, picking up other peoples kids, having them go to other people's houses, asking for last minute help was pretty normal (in some communities and situations, I'm sure this is still normal today). But sometimes we either aren't comfortable with the community around us, don't know them that well or don't want to inconvenience others. I think the worry about inconveniencing others is something we should try to let go of. <p></p><p>Yes, we need to be respectful of the time and needs and situations of others. Yes, some people have trouble with boundaries and saying, "No". So maybe don't ask people if you know they would say yes to anything. For those friends though that you can, ask. I asked someone who I have a budding friendship with if she'd help me with my son's Halloween costume. She totally could have said no. I was half expecting it, or for her to charge me for her time (I did offer to pay). Not only did she do a wonderful job, she told me she prayed for my family while she was working on it. I was able to offer her some consolation and practical support, as we were able to be prayer partners for each other. She was grateful to help out, to do something out of the ordinary for her and to give of herself. Her kids are growing older, and my son's Halloween costume was her "opportunity to have someone wear a Halloween costume I made."</p><p>When we help and give of ourselves to others, we receive so much. I think sometimes we need to allow others to give to us as well. It benefits both the giver and the recipient. Don't feel guilty about asking for help. The worst that can happen is they say no. The gifts that could happen are numerous.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-9230432452928038912022-10-02T15:09:00.001-07:002022-10-02T15:11:45.525-07:00What it all boils down to....<p> I went to go to Confession the other day and no sooner had I started (don't worry, I'm not going to share the juicy tidbits) when the question of why I have one child came up.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8lszMyXJ8I43PZj-huj9JTMsBorS42_O8I8H1ecofrS4Pm4ez0NlNhQUwo3TNGdIX6NWR9AdyPBNnDTxgb_dHKYm695SJJtgyc3S0UiGl6Vj-k40z6RSsYUjn05Zk10r72LBzgv855_0U5LdvBnCsdrMzVdijd4JHRjEgdiXWjGG5ivwoXoV9eeT/s1280/sun-203792_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8lszMyXJ8I43PZj-huj9JTMsBorS42_O8I8H1ecofrS4Pm4ez0NlNhQUwo3TNGdIX6NWR9AdyPBNnDTxgb_dHKYm695SJJtgyc3S0UiGl6Vj-k40z6RSsYUjn05Zk10r72LBzgv855_0U5LdvBnCsdrMzVdijd4JHRjEgdiXWjGG5ivwoXoV9eeT/s320/sun-203792_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Now, I know what priest I chose to go to. He is a holy man and he is a man who adores large families (which I currently don't have). I tried to head off this topic by saying, we have been praying for 10 years, we have been awaiting adoption for 5 years. The priest tried to be helpful and tried to suggest various resources (which my husband and I already had known about and gone through). He recalled various saints and centers and all sorts of things. I think he was actually in more pain about the situation than I was at that exact moment. Trying not to forgot my list of sins I had come to confess, I headed him off. "What it all comes down to is surrendering our will, and being ok knowing that God's will may be different from ours." The old priest paused and said, "Yep, that's about it."<p></p><p>It was touching how much this wise and holy man wanted to help and it was probably refreshing that those words actually came out of my mouth (because that's a hard pill to swallow).</p><p>May the healing sacrament of Confession help us all boil it down to surrender. What a coincidence that this happened on the Feast of St. Therese, the Little Flower, who was perfected in her surrender.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRco51l350kfAzmuk5q0db93be9pfGAdGsBCYWmpBYrWUxkKG4eB9TJiJa3UEVJNvdgjhJf6U-AhKdFDCMUp7pKMqlCDxyEzpzqeh9fXPoyRph-Re7YWILdGH_OkNKsonBik8d5_q4xVquVUK0mOnxfsH6crqyjcxSwyv2qLvklrxNFtbQLHdUaUlb/s1280/clouds-808748_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRco51l350kfAzmuk5q0db93be9pfGAdGsBCYWmpBYrWUxkKG4eB9TJiJa3UEVJNvdgjhJf6U-AhKdFDCMUp7pKMqlCDxyEzpzqeh9fXPoyRph-Re7YWILdGH_OkNKsonBik8d5_q4xVquVUK0mOnxfsH6crqyjcxSwyv2qLvklrxNFtbQLHdUaUlb/s320/clouds-808748_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-37544402727839630162022-08-16T11:39:00.001-07:002022-08-16T11:39:00.155-07:00Another Reminder to Choose Kind<p> We never know what other people are dealing with, or the struggles they have. I try to keep this in mind when people seem abrupt or rude or have an inappropriate response. Sometimes, I'll find out later that someone is in the hospital or they have another worry on their plate, and I'm content that I chose kind, rather than to respond in-kind.</p><p>I've always known I can be more sensitive to criticism than others. Sometimes, this has served me well. I can become hyper vigilant and hard on myself. Not always the best for mental health, but it has helped me succeed professionally and keep me motivated. I still recall a time in my internship year when I made a mistake. It was a pretty obvious, thoughtless mistake and I was ready for the technician who shamed everyone (to the point that I'm pretty sure Human Resources would have had a big file on her if they knew) to shame me. I asked her why she didn't come down on me. She answered simply, "because I know you will be far harder on yourself than I would." </p><p>I have more recently found out that my reaction to criticism has something to do with my neurochemistry. I have ADHD, and the biggest burden I seem to bear with it is the sensitivity to rejection. This is actually something that a lot of people with ADHD have to deal with, but it was good for me to put a name to it. It only took me 42 years. The hard thing about this is it can cause you to withdraw from people who seem to hurt you, it can cause you to run away from those social situations, or it can cause you to "try too hard" and make yourself subject to more criticism.</p><p>While it is the most painful part of dealing with ADHD, I also see how it has worked for good in my life. I am very empathetic, that has served me well professionally and personally, by being compassionate to others.</p><p>Fortunately, I have learned from working with young people professionally to not over-criticize. There was a great <a href="https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/dont-uproot-the-wheat" target="_blank">catholicmom.com article </a>recently about not pulling up the wheat with the weeds. It talks about the Gospel of Matthew and how the landowner knows the great risk of pulling up the wheat with the weeds. If we are hyper vigilant about picking out the weeds in others and our children, we may pull up or injure the wheat. We are to be wise and gentle.</p><p>While I still experience pain from those who are not wise and gentle in my life (especially people who have difficulty apologizing), I am better able to put it in perspective and to try to let go. I still have difficulty with being sensitive to criticism, it is apparently the cross I bear in this life and I am slowly learning how to offer it up and to remember that others do not necessarily have the same empathy that I have. I can only hope that my parenting is wise and gentle and I allow the wheat to grow.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-37321628489575545242022-08-12T12:25:00.003-07:002022-08-12T12:25:00.166-07:00Was it an annoyance or a blessing?<p> In a week that was somewhat trying, I had intended to get up early and go work out. Instead I woke up to a chronic health condition making life a little harder. I said forget it to working out and looked forward to going to First Friday Mass. I have had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus since my Grandma introduced it to me. I have gone to consecutive First Fridays before, but I really wanted to try to reignite the devotion. I had prepped my son all week that we were going to Mass.</p><p>I got him ready (reluctantly) to go, even letting him choose that we go to Mass where he went to summer camp, so he would be able to see some friends.</p><p>We got in the car and headed out. As we were approaching a busy intersection, I noticed a loose dog. I inwardly tried to convince myself that she had an owner and was just one of those privileged dogs in our area who got to walk off leash. I kept an eye out as I was driving and it became apparent that she was lost. There were a few people walking who were gawking, but were not trying to prevent her going into one of our area's busiest intersections. I found a safe side street to pull over.<br /></p><p>My son who apparently hadn't noticed the dog was confused. "So it looks like we aren't going to Mass," I told him. "What?" he responded, as I went to grab the spare leash I keep in the car (that's what you do when you're a vet). "Come, help me catch a dog," I encouraged. "What dog?" my son was confused. As we turned the corner, he finally saw the dog. He was confused that I had noticed it and he hadn't. I told him it was my mommy-vet eyes. We had to prevent the dog from getting run over, and hopefully find her owner.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPfjIDd1mgaJivg6hHb8DS_F7G71vcQTaOvSrhNKssBCkttAP8991wTXij0rtcTVR6qYBH0v9OSLQKKqKCtp-ZLuovI1U--d4gmkxVuY_SJ-5WHUvComtMtNQEZ92zzmBS2IBYzuaznX1-0ja6e_6mzGKQyF6c2_NfJHrgl9rFx2GTItS6v-KSwVw/s4032/IMG_2590.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPfjIDd1mgaJivg6hHb8DS_F7G71vcQTaOvSrhNKssBCkttAP8991wTXij0rtcTVR6qYBH0v9OSLQKKqKCtp-ZLuovI1U--d4gmkxVuY_SJ-5WHUvComtMtNQEZ92zzmBS2IBYzuaznX1-0ja6e_6mzGKQyF6c2_NfJHrgl9rFx2GTItS6v-KSwVw/s320/IMG_2590.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>My son who is very sweet, but not always the most co-operative, especially when an unplanned event came up, was helpful. As the dog turned to run in the street, we convinced her to go down a slower road. I tried unsuccessfully a couple times to get a leash on her. I think my son's presence actually calmed her that I was an ok person if this kid hung out with me. Of course I didn't have my phone, because I had not planned this dog rescue. I called to the gawkers to please call the police or animal control (as at this time I didn't have the dog on a leash and I didn't want it darting in the street). I didn't want the dog to get hit, but I could also envision a car crash happening from cars trying to avoid hitting the dog and people being on their phones and not alert during rush hour. Unfortunately the gawkers just said, "Not our dog." Thanks people. So helpful. So my son and I walked with the dog. She was curious about us but not trusting enough to get a leash on her. So my son, myself and this unknown dog start walking the neighborhood knocking on doors trying to figure out if she belonged to any of the houses, or if they recognized her. One gentleman answered and wished us luck, he didn't recognize her, he did tell me there was a dog that lived next door. When I knocked on that door the dog barked from the window, so it was clear that wasn't her home.</p><p>By this time, I started talking in baby talk (which my son made fun of) but the dog responded well and finally let me leash her. She apparently knew how to walk on a leash. Yay!</p><p>She seemed like she belonged to someone because she was pretty friendly, clean and looked well-fed. Of course she didn't have a collar with a phone number though.</p><p>Apparently she also has experience with jumping into a hatchback. She promptly jumped in as soon as I opened it. I got my phone and called the police non-emergency number as I found out animal control wasn't open for another 3 hours. My son who is typically more of a cat person than a dog person (he will admit this) asked if we could keep her. We even gave her a name. My son wanted to call her Cookies and Cream. I told him "Cookie" sounded like something she would be able to learn. I told her we first had to see if she had a home, because I suspected she did. If she didn't have a home, it would be a conversation to have with Daddy. My son wanted to take her home, he was excited. I thought of the cat, the geriatric dog and the husband. Maybe not.</p><p>The neighborhood services division gentlemen arrived about 10 minutes later, after I got "Cookie" more comfortable in the car (she loved head rubs and baby talk). He had a microchip scanner on him and she did have a microchip.</p><p>My son was a bit disappointed and I was a bit disappointed we didn't make it to Mass. I decided to look at it though that somewhere there was a household who wouldn't have to grieve a dog today (and she looked like she was fairly young, perhaps even a big puppy). Also, it was possible that we could have avoided a big accident in the intersection from someone hitting the dog. So it's possible my little "annoyance" detour could have saved someone from a more painful catastrophe. It also taught my son that sometimes the Holy Spirit drives you down the right road at the right time, and you have to let your conscience guide you.</p><p>I hope Cookie went home and got some big hugs and when we got home, my son gave our dog who he is normally disinterested in, a little extra attention.</p><p>My husband has had to deal with the annoyance of me trying to chase down stray dogs a couple of times. It is always a reminder to him that me being a veterinarian is not just a profession, it's a vocation.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-9870224840498618822022-08-09T18:13:00.002-07:002022-08-09T18:13:00.162-07:00Armor of God Book Review<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">My son and I were happy to receive a complimentary copy of the series, Armor of God by Theresa Linden.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is a six book series.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We absolutely loved this series. It is marketed as being great for kids getting ready to receive the Sacraments (which I agree with). We found that it's great for older kids and adults to read with them. This series is well written and teaches moral values (referring to the Catechism and the Bible) without seeming to force it. The stories are told naturally and are engaging. They bring you in and make you feel like you are with the characters. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I also really appreciate how the characters are real. They make mistakes and they learn from their experiences. I hope this author will continue writing and maybe do some more series like this. The series takes place in a time that could be recognized as the middle ages (Knights and Dames, no TV's or iphones), but it also has strong female characters and doesn't seem to be pushing history, as it also has dragons, so it's a fantasy world that is relatable to today. This book is great for Catholics, but I think it also would be great for non-Catholic Christians as well, or anyone trying to teach their children virtues and morality. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The series is well organized and each book has a theme based off of Ephesians 6:13-17. “Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The final book, in particular, includes many biblical verses. The only thing I would say that could be improved is it refers to a one-armed knight having “hands”. A funny conversation with my son ensued how you can have hands with only one arm. As that is the only editing error we found in 6 books, I think that’s reasonable. I also loved that the author made a point of letting the readers know, even though the characters had earned their pieces of armor, they had to continue to earn and retain it through practicing the virtues throughout their life. It isn’t a one-time deal. What a great reminder for all of us.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-14892867178683420992022-08-05T05:29:00.001-07:002022-08-05T05:29:00.156-07:00I can't believe it's August...<p> I was just talking to a client the other day, and I can't believe it's August! (Cue reminder to give my pets their monthly heartworm and flea and tick preventative, I somehow always remember it when I'm telling others to do it and it escapes my memory when I return home). I could do a whole other post on fleas and ticks (maybe next week).</p><p>Somehow though, the Lazy Days of Summer seem to be my crunch time. Time to try to get those school projects started, time to realize all the things I had put off until summer need to get done. Trying to develop systems so that when September comes it doesn't hit us like a gong. Compounding those things is the realization that an overseas trip that I was supposed to go on two years ago and kept being pushed back is actually going to happen. Excitement, anxiety, yep, sounds like. a new school year.</p><p>It's easy to get anxious, but I will focus on some blessings. After 42 years of life, I have actually found some systems that keep me on track. I have a husband who can help keep me on track and I have a kid who can smile and give me a hug even on days when I completely go off track. I also have the blessing that my son's school has school supplies included within tuition. I think I was bummed about this his kindergarten year because I didn't really get to do "Back To School" shopping for him. It also helps that he wears a uniform, so I'm free of a whole mental load I appreciate others have to deal with.</p><p>We haven't gone to the pool as much as we were hoping to and we haven't gotten to go on our annual camping trip (a combination of a wrench thrown into my husbands work schedule and some bad weather). We have had a lot of fun experiences, and the feeling like just maybe things are returning to normal.</p><p>I hope the start of your August has been good and please share any tips you have for having a calm and peaceful start to the academic year. We can't control peace in our World (though we can pray for it), but we can set the tone for Peace in our home.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-10508098016768374612022-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:002022-08-02T14:40:54.154-07:00Summer Reading<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=megherriot-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0B4PQTDTJ&asins=B0B4PQTDTJ&linkId=c71c182c034848397d5205578da26507&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<p> I've been getting some good reading done this summer. Either waiting for appointments, or just hanging out or traveling, I've been able to accomplish a lot of reading. I'd like to share some of my favorite books. I will try to continue to do a "Book Review Tuesday" as we get into the heat of the summer : )</p><p><br /></p><p>"Playing Doctor" by John Lawrence was a humorous and fun read. While it shared some intense situations because it is a autobiography about a doctor in training, it was done in a lighthearted and humble manner. I could very much relate to the stories and share with the author its the humans, more than the medicine that makes our jobs difficult.</p><p>This was a very entertaining and engaging book. As a veterinarian who has done advanced training, I can very much relate to the medical mishaps, and how dealing with people is a lot harder than the medicine. This was humorous and yet times educational. The author has a great way of telling the stories with a humble and humorous perspective. The author is eclectic and has a wide range of interests. It is apparent he is a fun guy and someone you'd want to entertain you in times of need (and he'd be a fun character to drink a beer with at a bar). I'm sure his medical skills have progressed beyond where he was as a student and a resident, but we all have to start somewhere and this was a fun reminder of "good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement." A very entertaining and fairly easy read.</p><p><br /></p><p>In a different genre, I also enjoyed, "Escape from Amsterdam" by Lauralee Bliss. This was a good book overall. It was intriguing and easy to read. While the World War II genre already has a rather large collection, this book seemed to be fresh and offer a new perspective. The Christian/faith based perspective brought something lighter to a genre that can be heavy and difficult. While the darkness of the period was present, the material had enough innocence that a 4th grader would be able to hear or read it without being traumatized. An overall engaging book and love story that took place during a difficult time in history.</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=megherriot-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1636093760&asins=1636093760&linkId=b6b70113801b0712e475a03eee35b630&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111; font-size: 14.039999961853027px;">“I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”</span></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-1886074007366412022-07-23T08:21:00.003-07:002022-07-23T08:21:56.017-07:00A Different Perspective<p><br /> I've written about this topic before, but I will write about it again. Especially since it seems our culture is on a precipice with the dignity and goodness of the gift of life.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WDJFLdgJQqoLDv1SWzBqcjyi-iAh87gnKGVGKrp_ckIejTWm3DCQq3uHUb0SWGEi-X39FFRi-MaXBG7dEqVYFYV59Rv-4knJgdetLgmPxqctAoRb0QFHeqslvDi3yEeL6HuVnm3Uj_gaBGEzg1C2HImA91_8PAaQQjcr28t7yoJBvEEvjs0Rf5K7/s2048/IMG_1677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WDJFLdgJQqoLDv1SWzBqcjyi-iAh87gnKGVGKrp_ckIejTWm3DCQq3uHUb0SWGEi-X39FFRi-MaXBG7dEqVYFYV59Rv-4knJgdetLgmPxqctAoRb0QFHeqslvDi3yEeL6HuVnm3Uj_gaBGEzg1C2HImA91_8PAaQQjcr28t7yoJBvEEvjs0Rf5K7/s320/IMG_1677.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>My husband and I (and our son) have been waiting for 4 years. I'd like to think patiently waiting (but truthfully, it's not always like that) to add a new member to our family through the gift of adoption. We went through the home study, the interviews, the deep peak into our lives as well as all the tests. My son's pediatrician said it was the first time she ever drug tested a 5 year old (we found out later it was an error on the paperwork). Thankfully, he complied.</p><p>The wait has had its highs and lows. The hope of maybe we will get picked (the biological parents pick adoptive parents through our agency, or the first option is the person who is waiting longest). I think the longest waiting in our agency has been 7 years. My husband and I have searched our hearts and from the beginning have been open to babies with special needs and special circumstances. We've had to look up rare genetic disorders, or refresh our memories regarding other special situations. We've offered up our family as a potential home. There can definitely be a feeling of rejection at times. I remember one point thinking, "do we look too old, too ugly, should I get a professional photographer?" When you try and try and try again and it just doesn't work out, it can get hard.</p><p>Christmas and Mother's Day and often school events where I see these big beautiful families can be hard. My son feels it too. He gets sad at grandparents day, when the grandparents come to school, because he's the only kid in the family. He has wanted a brother or sister as long as he can remember. He has also had an open heart with us. He says whether it's a brother or sister he receives, he will be happy. He has even told us if the child wasn't able to play sports with him, was in a wheelchair or had bones that would break easily and limit activity, he would rejoice in being a brother.</p><p>It's easy to get disheartened, it's easy to be saddened, it easy to feel like infertility is a huge injustice.</p><p>I believe we have found the gift of it though. The gift to realize how precious life is and to grow in our love and faith. Every time we find out we aren't picked and we were hopeful because we thought it would be a good pick, it hurts. That's just being honest. I do see the graces though, and I'm sure, at the end of time, God will show us why he meant this journey for us.</p><p>I am fairly open with providing testimony and I'd like to provide it here. Whether a baby has a medical need, emotional need or expected difficulties, they are wanted. I told our pastor that babies with Downs Syndrome are quite competitive to adopt. I've told my friend who is a pediatrician (and receives numerous texts about all sorts of medical conditions so we can understand what we would potentially be signing up for) how we have not been bothering him in vain. We have put our name forward for those babies and we just weren't chosen.</p><p>I tell the people I work with, our friends how long we've been waiting, and I share with them when I think we just might have a chance (our life could change remarkably with one phone call, so I have to let the people I work for that I have to be careful with commitments). Living a life in limbo for 4 years is hard. Not knowing if vacations you plan will get changed or you will travel out of state to a pediatric hospital with one phone call, it takes some adaptability and spontaneity. It is worth it for us.</p><p>This journey is especially worth it if I get to share with others how wanted these babies are. One friend gave our name over to a mother who was trying to make a decision with what she wanted to do with an unexpected pregnancy. I promptly sent pictures so she could see what a family who is hoping to add a member might look like. I was told she was interested in adoption and I had her contact our social worker. I don't know what happened, but I hope to hear, some day that she chose life.</p><p>Fostering is an option that we looked into before adoption. There is a variety of factors that this would not work for us at this time. Sadly, where we live, you must get the biological parents permission to enter a church with the foster child. We were told to expect that you would not be able to go to Mass as a family, be prepared a parent would stay home with the foster child. As our faith is a huge part of our life (my son actually found me on Google Earth in the Church parking lot). This just didn't seem the best option at this time. We hope circumstances will change and we may be able to foster children in the future.</p><p>I share the above because as we discuss things in this time, the equation has more pieces than what seem to be discussed. There are loving families who wait and grieve for the family members they would have welcomed. Please share this with young people, so that they can share as well that there are families looking to God's grace and the gift of biological parents to increase.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-88130695147289632222022-04-01T14:37:00.000-07:002022-04-01T14:37:24.974-07:00Evangelizing as a Lay Person<p> An acquaintance of mine was talking with some friends and a priest. He lamented that the priest gets to evangelize, but Lay people really don't. He thought that lay people evangelizing meant pointing out to other people how their lives are less than Catholic.</p><p>I became rather passionate about his misunderstanding and said, "What? There are so many ways to evangelize! Just living joyfully in this broken world is evangelization in itself."</p><p>I tried to explain how I work in a very secular world. I don't even know of any other Catholics that I work with. I don't shout from the rooftops I'm Catholic, but I don't hide it either. As a matter of fact, most people have probably figured out that I'm Catholic from a silent practice I do.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLib5ndpiKF__S1oWYiwKsIShKWM1R_-0GzKs9GKGWfejFMQ-WbMhal2evUPsMZGYlvcRYQ91or5p47W5HI3imOF8jTJBG4i-W_s-dcW0KUBEspKWDHWoar3cxCir3GLCqo4kyF2YcFT7a0ZWsECtCuM46BB6SdTVd0YL_nv2xqeG0hzdU7hVtMuZ/s1920/baby-2416718_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLib5ndpiKF__S1oWYiwKsIShKWM1R_-0GzKs9GKGWfejFMQ-WbMhal2evUPsMZGYlvcRYQ91or5p47W5HI3imOF8jTJBG4i-W_s-dcW0KUBEspKWDHWoar3cxCir3GLCqo4kyF2YcFT7a0ZWsECtCuM46BB6SdTVd0YL_nv2xqeG0hzdU7hVtMuZ/s320/baby-2416718_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In the Workplace (and the rest of my life as well)<p></p><p>1) Before meals or snacks, whether people are present or not, I make the Sign of the Cross.</p><p>2) When someone shares a difficulty or obstacle, I ask them if they would mind if I pray for them</p><p>3) When people ask me about our adoption journey, and if we are still waiting, I share with them we have been waiting over 4 years, and that we are open to babies with difficulties, babies with Downs Syndrome, etc., and that there are SOOO many people waiting that our adoption agency has been closed to new waiting families for over 2 years.</p><p>Small things in the Real World;</p><p>1) I try to request/recommend our library purchase Catholic books (I recommend them for the online library, so it's just a couple of steps on an app, I'm sure you could do this in-person as well). I may have already read them, but if they purchase them based on my recommendation, others will get an opportunity to read them as well.</p><p>2) When I'm on the phone, even with customer service people, etc. if an opportunity comes up to discuss prayer or faith, I will. There was one day, where I was in a bit of a hurry and the customer service representative was polite and talkative. One part of me just wanted to say, "Just fill my prescription." Instead, I kept the door open and the woman told me how her mother has been sick. I asked her what her mom's name was so we could include her in our family prayer that night. She sounded like she teared up and was so grateful for the prayers.</p><p>3) Sometimes, it's just being open to situations that come up and just showing up as your authentic self.</p><p>4) I sometimes have to remind myself, "I have a Pro-Life magnet on the back of my car." This reminder makes me more patient as a driver, and more likely to let people merge or behave in a more generous way while driving. If I'm pro-Life, the message is going to be received more if I'm selfless.</p><p>5) Going along with the above... Thanks to my Pro-Life magnet, an old coworker spotted my car and knew it was my car (I had no idea she had actually noticed my magnet, as people don't always notice those things). She came out of the business she was in to find me because she noticed my car. She then introduced me to someone who presented me with an opportunity. All because I was recognized by the Magnet (and make and model) of my car.</p><p><br /></p><p>Living an authentic Catholic life is the BEST form of evangelization, I sometimes think. Of course I try to do other Works of Charity and kindness and discipleship. But I really think the most progress I have is just being authentic. I will often randomly have conversations that are pro-life, pro-adoption, pro-naprotechnology, etc.. My husband wonders how these topics ever come up, but living authentically, they do and I've learned to be open, present a non-judgmental point of view and yet share my authentic Catholic values.</p><p>What suggestions do you have for evangelizing as Laity?</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-86788468826361773952022-02-03T06:42:00.001-08:002022-02-03T06:45:56.122-08:00The wisdom of small spaces...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-RRZEYHgNNh5FXgdlAa_g4GHghXgbDpUu4M0Epp_qOE1NVEohgP_M7kGA3sExOAUsEwNzB4p5TwUj9JpokAI3_m138HXB9f0KUFP5F4cmpGFwaXiyQaI2_cGa4rw6Z5hUo7X5j_X6onEqCGt5-dscF7EVQs2aR4UH_wuWroBgyayqbhQfSATXBJDB=s2201" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="2201" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-RRZEYHgNNh5FXgdlAa_g4GHghXgbDpUu4M0Epp_qOE1NVEohgP_M7kGA3sExOAUsEwNzB4p5TwUj9JpokAI3_m138HXB9f0KUFP5F4cmpGFwaXiyQaI2_cGa4rw6Z5hUo7X5j_X6onEqCGt5-dscF7EVQs2aR4UH_wuWroBgyayqbhQfSATXBJDB=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span face="Calibri, sans-serif">ometimes, we need to be reminded of our blessings.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">My husband and I moved into our starter house about 10 years ago.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">It’s a pretty nice house, but not a lot of space, especially for storage, or a designated play area for our son.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I don’t think I became disenchanted by it until the pandemic when it always seems like everybody is in everybody else’s space.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I’m always telling my son to pick up toys or clear his latest project off the dinner table.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">In a house of introverts, we don’t really each have our own space (or as in the case of my husband, his space for work is also the dog’s space, the space for camping gear and the coldest space in the house.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">But at least it’s quiet.) Our extended family has also commented on our lack of space, but let’s just say our circumstances keep us in this space.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Most of the time, we are content with it.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">But I think sometimes we forget that whatever space is a blessing if we are all together.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">A few years ago my son commented that he wanted a bigger house. I looked at him and said, “I’d love one too, but it costs more money.” “Well then, get more money!” my son responded. as if there’s an ATM that is endless. The innocence of children…. “Well, if you want mommy to get more money, it means I’ll have to spend a lot more time working. You will have to spend a lot more time at childcare than you already do.” He quickly replied, “Mommy, this house is fine.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">My husband and I like traveling around and looking at mansions. I never really dream of moving into a mansion (I can’t imagine cleaning one, and I don’t think I would be content with that much space). But the other night, on a walk, I walked by some single family homes and realized something. If we had a bigger house, we would each have our own space. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I may not dream of a mansion. But I do dream of a little den where I can retire in my favorite chair in silence and read and pray without hearing the TV or being disrupted. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">While initially the thought of each having our own space seemed like a dream, the flip side occurred to me. If we eachl had our own space, being a house of introverts, I think we wouldn’t interact very much. We wouldn’t have the same threesome we have. While we drive each other nuts sometimes, there is joy. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">One time during the pandemic, I thought I lived in a musical, because my son and husband were randomly breaking into song all the time. Sometimes, it was a bit much. Trying to work and focus with virtual school in the background and the cat chasing the dog and everything going on at once would be a challenge for anyone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">We have a unity. Everyone has different circumstances (I don’t begrudge anyone with a larger house). But, I remembered how God provides us with the right blessings for our station in life. If my son not having a designated play space makes me more likely to come over and play a game of chess with him, or more likely to have him come over and see me reading and ask me to read to him, I’m happy to live in an open-floor plan, no private space house. This is where God put us and I rejoice in his wisdom.<br /><o:p></o:p></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-74420032829443280122021-11-02T16:28:00.000-07:002021-11-02T16:28:33.030-07:00The value of curiosity....<p> The old expression, "curiosity killed the cat" definitely has its place. I see many of my patients who get in trouble from being overly curious. There is obviously also a spiritual hazard in being the wrong kind of curious - gossip, judging others, etc.. Curiosity in some circumstances can be a gift.</p><p>I have benefited greatly from someone's curiosity. Without trying to get too much into my history, (but enough so this will be understood) I was in very close proximity to a predator. This predator who caused misery for many girls and young women definitely had evil at work in his life. Though my interactions with this person were 20 years ago, I have been working on processing the feelings the past couple of years. Dealing with fear, betrayal and also not quite remembering what happened during that time of my life (I was on medication that actually messed with memory back then), I turned to prayer. I also felt confused and maybe a little bit of guilt, that these others experienced such horrible things and I was given the grace to keep my childhood innocence.</p><p>As time has gone on and I've processed more, I realized something. The sports trainer who was attached to my team ALWAYS was at my appointments. He was a fairly big guy who later on joined the military. I reached out to him because I really felt I needed to say thank you. I asked him if he remembered always being at my medical appointments and he said, "Yes, I always tried to, not because I suspected anything, which I feel awful I didn't and could have done something, but because I was curious and wanted to learn."</p><p>His innocent curiosity about medicine is most likely what saved me from horrible violations. His presence provided me protection I didn't even know I needed. I am truly grateful. I also have to think the Holy Spirit had something to do with his curiosity and his call to be present.</p><p>So remember, while curiosity can get you into trouble; it can keep others out of it. If the Holy Spirit is prompting you to be curious, follow that prompt. You may not ever know why, but curiosity and being present can be great gifts.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-31682666289101097242021-08-20T12:46:00.002-07:002021-08-20T12:46:48.034-07:00A Catholic Womans Guide To Relationships<div class="separator"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Womans-Guide-Relationships/dp/1505112257?dchild=1&keywords=A+Catholic+Womans+guide+to+relationships&qid=1629376596&sr=8-3&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=709b2e64e58343079c4898af5d04c55b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1505112257&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" width="196" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1505112257" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />I am putting together a care package for a friend and was torn on whether or not to send "A Catholic Woman's Guide To Relationships" that I had received. Written by Rose Sweet, this compact book has just been a great companion, and I don't want to give it away! <div><br /></div><div>Most likely I will end up buying my own copy, because the virtue of charity and letting it be shared is greater than my possessiveness. This book is easy to read, has great tips and is the nice size to fit into a purse. I often took it with me to Mass to read prior to the service. I used the humility prayer as a bookmark and those two forces together were helpful in my spiritual growth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rose Sweet writes with wisdom, humor and humility. She uses personal stories to illustrate points.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a table of contents, but I would say the book is not a reference book, it's best to be read in order. It is composed of 6 parts which are rather sequential. Nevertheless, I could probably use another go around on the "listening" section.</div><div><br /></div><div>Standing at the Door- entering the interior world, exploring the mystery and following the master</div><div>Listening- learning to listen, hearing with the heart, listening in silence</div><div>Leading- understanding your role, using your gifts, letting them fall</div><div>Loving- being a gift, adjusting your expectations, respecting their freedom</div><div>Letting Go- facing your fears, releasing control, learning to trust</div><div>Sitting at the Fire- releasing shame, seeking forgiveness, letting God lead</div><div><br /></div><div>I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to buying another copy to read again.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111; font-size: 14.039999961853027px;">“I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”</span></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-86970318691692225802021-08-13T12:28:00.003-07:002021-08-13T12:28:43.099-07:00Something to be aware of...<p> The uncertainty of life, especially with the delta variant has been affecting everyone.</p><p>I was talking with a friend of a friend the other day and she was very upset with her veterinarian. I also have a friend that I talked to as well who expressed frustration with their veterinarian. I could understand where both were coming from, and there was a myriad of issues. But some of the issues they had are some many of my clients have as well. It is difficult to get a hold of a veterinarian now. One clinic I know of only has three phone lines. With everything being done over the phone; checking in, checking out, picking up prescriptions, scheduling appointments and trying to go over exam findings, treatment, cost, etc., three phone lines are not enough. In some circumstances, veterinarians actually go out to the car to talk to people because they could wait for a phone line to open up for 20 minutes or more. This can make us late for all of our future appointments, besides being frustrating for everyone.</p><p>Not only did many people adopt pets during the pandemic, there are a LOT of new pet owners. People who need help talking through the basic things most experienced pet owners already know. Things such as, behavior, nutrition, what is normal vs. abnormal behavior. Sometimes, to do a thorough job, I find myself spending 40 minutes or more talking to people (which is just not realistic when appt times are 20-30 minutes long).</p><p>More people are spending more time with their pets and they are noticing more things. The occasional cough you've been noticing for the past 2-3 years becomes more problematic when you are spending all your time with your pet. What seemed like the pet coughing once a day may be noticed occurring multiple times an hour. Add to that all the preventative care and surgeries that were delayed from earlier in the pandemic and you have some very busy veterinary offices.</p><p>Emergency rooms across the country are actually closing to new emergencies. One emergency room I called to transfer a patient actually could not pick up the phone because they were too busy.</p><p>This is occurring across the country, and some clinics are scheduling surgeries into October and November. It's kind of crazy that, at the 12-week puppy visits, I'm telling people to schedule their spay/neuter so we can still do it around 6 months of age.</p><p>Add to the above stresses, the workplace shortage is a real thing. Many clinics are having trouble finding adequate, let alone trained staff. This is not the time in a stressful environment to be training newbies, but we have to, if we are lucky to find an assistant or veterinary nurse to help. When I have plenty of staff, I can be very efficient, and work with multiple clients at once. When I am short-staffed, I can run an hour or more behind by trying to be all things to all people. While I have no problem doing clerical or technical things (even though most nurses are better than I am at drawing blood); this is not the most efficient use of my time.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_u2LxFeTA1J0TSS9Ua-anUbv3InDB3FBFBX2btIXBU6cxDkyZjf33rW4elVBrGQzfmta4o-5DbA4CqNE1eUitPxnf8c4R8p2Og2zXx1mRaJZjjAzACsbWkxeoZKeMMAVPI9EQKg5aT7Y/s1280/diagnostics-161140_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1057" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_u2LxFeTA1J0TSS9Ua-anUbv3InDB3FBFBX2btIXBU6cxDkyZjf33rW4elVBrGQzfmta4o-5DbA4CqNE1eUitPxnf8c4R8p2Og2zXx1mRaJZjjAzACsbWkxeoZKeMMAVPI9EQKg5aT7Y/s320/diagnostics-161140_1280.png" width="264" /></a></div>In addition, there has been an ongoing mental health crisis in veterinary medicine that many people are unaware of. We as a profession are trying to figure out why. Whether it's the people who are attracted to veterinary medicine, the demands of the job, the stress of sky-rocketing student loans greater than human medical students with less professional compensation or the easy access to drugs; we haven't pinpointed it yet. One study looked at obituaries over 15 years of veterinarians and found that 10% died due to suicide.<p></p><p>We as a profession sometimes have difficulty with setting boundaries. I told the friend of a friend that while her old veterinarian was happy to come to her home and go out of her way to help her (something that I, in my past have also done), it is not a normal expectation that a veterinarian does that, or is available 24/7. For our mental health, we need time off, we need boundaries and we need people to understand what is and is not a reasonable expectation.</p><p>It is reasonable to expect us to be compassionate. We take an<br /> oath, we are a profession, not just something we show up and get a paycheck. We also are imperfect people. People who are trying to navigate this mess in the same storm as everyone else. People who sometimes need to say, "No". "No," I don't want to work another day where I had a 12 hour shift and because of lack of time to drink water and time in general, I haven't been able to get to the restroom for a break or it's been 8 hours since I ate something. "No," your dog who has been vomiting for 5 days and you haven't contacted us is now a problem for you and you want me to miss my family's weekly pizza and a movie night, rather than go to the ER.</p><p>So, just think about these things the next time you get frustrated with someone saying no (and this goes for any profession, including service people and retail workers). While it may be inconvenient and irritating to you, it could be someone just trying to manage in this crazy world.</p><p><br /></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-89146222895358176762021-08-10T10:35:00.025-07:002021-08-11T05:29:35.767-07:00Theology of The Home 1 and 2 and Daily Planner<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Home-Finding-Eternal-Everyday/dp/1505113652?dchild=1&keywords=Theology+of+the+home&qid=1628015268&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVTNDUExBUVo2RjRVJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzI3NzQzMUdZVDZHNjJKV04xQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTIyMjI3MVowTk9YSUhTVVpMTyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU%3D&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=e7b7900e3d30a05a9c926776263a8815&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1505113652&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" width="260" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1505113652" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Home-II-Spiritual-Homemaking/dp/1505117003?dchild=1&keywords=Theology+of+the+home&qid=1628015268&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVTNDUExBUVo2RjRVJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzI3NzQzMUdZVDZHNjJKV04xQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjE3MzkxMTNLNEtPREJBUUhLNSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU%3D&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=70e8f639cd89810f7a1e86ca210b43d6&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1505117003&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" width="256" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1505117003" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />
<div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I love the <i>Theology of the Home, </i>Book 1 and 2, that I received, as well as the daily planner. Theology of the Home, Book 1 is a great "coffee table book" with wonderful pictures and wonderful messages about establishing and growing theology in your home. Book 2 was more about Catholic feminism and the feminine genius. I loved how it had examples of women who are at different phases in their life and have different roles in motherhood. Whether it be a stay at home mom, a part-time or full-time work outside the home mom, an empty nester mom or a single layperson, it seemed to have a little something for everyone.</span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>With beautiful images that could match trendy magazines, this book is great for Catholic women. While it is visually appealing, it discusses placing importance on God first, and the household will follow. With various vignettes and short chapters, this book can be read a little at a time. You don't need a great chunk of time to get a little out of it each day. This book is a mix of Catholic feminism (definitely different from secular feminism), theology and artistry (great images worthy of any coffee table).</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There are lots of great quotes in this book. One of them that I thought was representative was, <i>"<span>The modern response to this story of dissatisfaction has been that we’ve valued home too much and at too great an expense. What this diagnosis fails to see is that when home feels like a prison, it’s not because we’ve given it too much importance but because we’ve given it far too little.”</span></i><br />
<br />This was a great book and I am actually reluctant to loan it to others because I want to keep it for myself... I have given additional copies as a gift, and I think it would be great for a new mom or new wife. I gave it to my Mom and it almost brought me to tears because I see how in living her motherhood, she helped instill in me greater Catholic values than I had realized.<br />
<br /><br /><br /></span>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=megherriot-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1505121191&asins=1505121191&linkId=5f1dbdcce236423427e8ccc0918bbe72&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<br />
<span face=""amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-size: 14.039999961853027px;">“I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-size: 14.039999961853027px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-12995119286629770102021-08-06T07:45:00.002-07:002021-08-06T07:45:00.228-07:00Upcoming Feast Day!<p> <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">What do a beautiful woman who tried to make herself ugly, a poor humble friar, a woman who in loose terms, told the Pope to "man up", a 24 year old handsome young man and a extremely talented artist whose work appears in most major art museums with images of the Rosary and a Saint known as the “Dumb ox” who is a brilliant Doctor of The Church have in common?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br />Here are some more hints to the question:</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br />1) The group they belong to are well known for their love of wine from the very beginning. It is said they learned to drink deep from the wine of God’s Word.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <br />2) Founded December 22, 1216. They’ve been around for over 800 years<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />3) Legend has it that the founder's mother (who is a Blessed) had a dream about a dog leaping from her womb with a torch in its mouth and spreading fire to the Earth. This may be one of the reasons this group is sometimes referred to as the "Hounds of The Lord"</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />4) The group is known as the "Order of Preachers"</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzr-A31q1JfJdyMJTOuVDAEZ5gBX1mGlq1RcElPD9C3QAA1eHAWisM48k8HnyzBnmQT8Z456DmjMU4NGRma74HfUyQRxOuCgcXZNvGRnGfIKrASZxAtqmMHx2yaMQxl5M8YtLfNcqCXg/s1920/church-498525_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1920" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzr-A31q1JfJdyMJTOuVDAEZ5gBX1mGlq1RcElPD9C3QAA1eHAWisM48k8HnyzBnmQT8Z456DmjMU4NGRma74HfUyQRxOuCgcXZNvGRnGfIKrASZxAtqmMHx2yaMQxl5M8YtLfNcqCXg/w443-h295/church-498525_1920.jpg" width="443" /></a></div><br /><br />Why, they are Dominicans of course! Their names in order of the above description include: St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin dePorres, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Catherine of Siena and Blessed Fra Angelico and St. Thomas Aquinas. There are well over 300 Saints and Blesseds that belong to the Dominican order. </span><br /><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />Who was St. Dominic and how is he relevant today? Well, I will give you a layperson's "Readers Digest" version of his story. He was born in the middle ages, in times of great turmoil, when Spain and Europe were being overtaken and there were wars and more wars between Christian Europe and Muslims, the time known as the Crusades.</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />St. Dominic didn't fight those battles though. Instead, he fought against the Albigensian heresy. Now the following is an oversimplification, but let me go ahead and phrase it in the following way. The Albigensian heretics were people who thought: "Spirit good, body bad." While you can probably figure out that there are some religious groups today that believe that, the ones who think the body is where all sin comes from and people don't have control over what their body does, etc. as well as those who rationalize that whatever the body does/decisions it makes it doesn't matter because the spirit is good and has no control over the body (could be a comparison to some New Age beliefs). Today, in our society one could argue there is another type of Albigensian heresy where instead of just the spirit mattering and not the body, the opposite is true. Who cares about the spirit and just do what the body says because there is no spirit and we just live in the now. Catholic teaching teaches that; Jesus came to us as divine God and Man, Son of Mary, so thus, he redeemed us both body AND soul. This has so many implications.</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />St. Dominic didn't fight this heresy on the battlefield, he fought it in taverns and on the street, wandering through Europe, teaching, listening and instructing and he calls his followers to do the same. Dominicans search for Truth, they search by academic study, conversation and more. Their 4 pillars include Prayer, Common Life, Study and Preaching and this is how they divide their days. Dominicans can be Priests, Sisters, Friars and Lay people (meaning just like you and me, I am a Lay Dominican, as a matter of fact).</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />I once heard a joke where a priest said he wanted to "live like a Jesuit and die like a Dominican". Well, I won't comment on the Jesuit part, but the Dominican part may be because the Dominicans, "look after their own" and many others of course. A Dominican charism is to daily pray for their deceased Dominicans and St. Dominic actually told his friars that he would "do far more for them when he died than he did when he was alive." There are MANY wonderful books much more scholarly than I am who share oodles of information about St. Dominic. Please consider reading them. There's also a great podcast on Catholic Answers Focus which is a great interview with Kevin Vost, a Dominican biographer. </span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />Hopefully this blog has lit a small fire to your desire to learn more about St. Dominic and Dominicans! Happy Feast of St. Dominic!</span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /><br /></span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-52997586971673823862021-08-03T08:08:00.000-07:002021-08-03T11:16:30.195-07:00"Mommy, How's Your Bucket?"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47SRoZ_4ZLNODMZf_wGh3-twt_8H5udEXdj8xhgQqiTF5esq_gBCrFmERs19xNeS_bq7c42VK3qcGCchu0Hw2ZjwlajP7_mhGNwIOX7QWaXcwwUgcS6T3cuW1xPllnQ3aBmhehYdCKt4/s1920/bucket-2156657_1920.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="1920" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47SRoZ_4ZLNODMZf_wGh3-twt_8H5udEXdj8xhgQqiTF5esq_gBCrFmERs19xNeS_bq7c42VK3qcGCchu0Hw2ZjwlajP7_mhGNwIOX7QWaXcwwUgcS6T3cuW1xPllnQ3aBmhehYdCKt4/s320/bucket-2156657_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> It had been a long week... My son had heard me talking with my husband about how I was doing. How the leaky, unable to move faucet was putting a hole in my bucket. How a lot of different frustrations, such as going to the DMV and waiting with non-socially distanced people and a disinterested bureaucrat had put another hole in my bucket. How my bucket was about ready to tip over because I came home to find everything I had just tidied up the day before out across our floor again.<p></p><p>In our house we use the "bucket" analogy which I believe we read about in Gary Chapman's "5 Love Languages book". Everyone has a "bucket". This is kind of your reservoir of patience, love and happiness. My son realizes annoying or hurtful things empty your bucket, while things that give you joy fill your bucket. He realizes if mommy has an empty bucket it is probably time to either give me some space, give me a hug, or let me go for a walk before he asks for help with something. I have also found if I'm going to respond in impatience to any one in my family, I can just say, "I have an empty bucket" and they get the message.</p><p>At the end of this long week, my husband and I were trying to invest in my son's "bucket" by doing a family tickle war. My son's language is touch, so tickling or cuddling fills his bucket. My husband has a pretty small bucket to fill, so I guess I'm kind of lucky on that front; however, his bucket is only filled by acts of service, like me doing housework (definitely not bucket-filling for me). We hadn't recently talked about all this, but as our tickle war was getting ready to start, my son asked me, "Mommy, how's your bucket?". I smiled and looked at him. "My bucket is full- playing with you today, snuggling with you this morning and taking this time together as a family has helped me fill my bucket today, thank you." My son smiled and said, "I'm so happy you are happy." I hadn't really realized that my son had been paying attention to all the times my husband and I have referenced the bucket but my son had picked up on it. Sometimes we need to pay attention to our buckets. With a full bucket, it overflows into those around us. While it's not a analogy that uses a lot of terms of faith, I think it's a great way to explain taking care of yourself and others to kids.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-87036758458956062162021-07-29T07:45:00.004-07:002021-07-29T07:45:45.013-07:00As of August 1st<p> Any regular subscribers to my blog will no longer receive e-mails when a new blogpost is posted; please do check back on Tuesdays and Fridays as I am trying to get back into the regular schedule of blogs. It has been a long year for everyone, and attempting to get back to normal is a definite goal! I will probably be doing Friday book reviews : )</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-2569755164059587312021-07-29T06:22:00.001-07:002021-07-29T06:22:10.849-07:00Silver lining of waiting for adoption<p> I was talking with a social worker the other day. Many people do not realize that many adoption agencies have so many people waiting to adopt, they aren't allowing new prospective families. There are also many families who are willing and enthusiastic to adopt babies with special needs, whether that means drug exposure or chromosomal abnormalities.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDHEtByFOtVtFJb45n2W6jNph118Q2bkf8RgyEDGx80R8UBTmJCIrmNVB1-BGdtLZPnpa-fHfXF83y_uCRriXfEewTDc4Q9IlufKooj6JrTjcX3UKgaVfjlzrAjKJkWM0-S1o9nDOFZM/s1920/baby-2416718_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDHEtByFOtVtFJb45n2W6jNph118Q2bkf8RgyEDGx80R8UBTmJCIrmNVB1-BGdtLZPnpa-fHfXF83y_uCRriXfEewTDc4Q9IlufKooj6JrTjcX3UKgaVfjlzrAjKJkWM0-S1o9nDOFZM/s320/baby-2416718_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>An average "wait time" in our area for a baby to adopt is over two years. While there are many kids in the foster system, some jurisdictions do not allow foster parents to bring kids to church with them and for families that already have kids, it could expose those kids to situations and language that it would be best to protect them from. So we are in a current situation where <br />many kids need foster families and many potential families want to adopt.<p></p><p>International adoptions have pretty much been shut down due to COVID restrictions, but international adoptions have been declining because some countries are not allowing adoption outside of the country and many places are setting up systems to keep babies within their country of birth.</p><p>Waiting can be hard on many families. Waiting for anything is hard for most people. But waiting to see if someone will pick your family to adopt their child has huge, life-changing ramifications. Knowing that people are looking at a photo album of your family and choosing a family based off of that can be difficult. Do our photos look ok? What can sometimes feel like rejection is hard. As I talked with the social worker though, we discussed the silver lining is the following: observing and talking with people who are waiting to adopt is a testimony to how precious all life is. We need to continue to provide testimony to the preciousness of all life. Any parent who thinks that a baby with a medical issue or parents who have financial issues should know, it shouldn't be a secret within our little communities, but secular knowledge that there is a potential home for every baby.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-18441074051464689122021-02-19T10:35:00.002-08:002021-02-19T10:35:41.884-08:00Justice On The AcropolisI had the pleasure of receiving an unanticipated surprise- <a href="https://amzn.to/3oK1dvf" target="_blank">Justice on the Acropolis by B.B. Gallagher</a> <br /><p>My son enjoys other books that are fantasies with moral messages, so I can understand how this fits well in that genre. This is a book about a little girl named Maggie who has an encounter with a guardian Angel.</p><p>My son and I really enjoyed this book. He also really liked that there were pictures interspersed, so great for kids transitioning to chapter books. It does a great job at explaining honoring thy father and mother and that we don't have control over what other people do, but we do have control over our reactions. This is great for kids who have interests in adventure books like the Magic Tree House books, yet this series has a very Catholic foundations.</p><p>It was well-written and just like life, did not have a predictable ending. It did a great job at demonstrating justice and the ends do not justify the means.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Acropolis-B-B-Gallagher/dp/1505117283/ref=as_li_ss_il?crid=1QPPEV1LHN4MO&dchild=1&keywords=justice+on+the+acropolis&qid=1607610813&sprefix=Justic+on+the+ac,aps,137&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=megherriot-20&linkId=c13c4b3d9d2e15191f5ca36e33147fc0&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1505117283&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=megherriot-20&language=en_US" width="260" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=megherriot-20&language=en_US&l=li2&o=1&a=1505117283" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>"I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to affiliate sites"</div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-79395026118005024032021-02-07T14:49:00.001-08:002021-02-07T14:49:13.851-08:00A funny Super Bowl Memory....<p> I could talk about the time I worked Super Bowl Sunday Night in an animal hospital ER and how it was really busy right before the Super Bowl and then slowed down during it, and all the interesting characters I met. Instead, the Super Bowl memory that recently came to mind for me was from about 10 years ago. I was living in Tucson, Arizona and my mom and Grandma had come to visit me. My Grandma had been experiencing some hip pain and some other issues and it all culminated in a visit to the ER on Super Bowl Sunday night.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJSbU6OexVPSFP3bSi6C06nkJxLLGX4mhcW_J5y6tOSUOmpn692LRSO5oLW8ielR2HmdcxRsa0KlLJ4vZTIrW4lbKxjwwg3xZGYNsO0AtkmrTtEIDH_Tl2GirbkjZp_7AtBr98KdBaOw/s2048/Depositphotos_39290797_xl-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJSbU6OexVPSFP3bSi6C06nkJxLLGX4mhcW_J5y6tOSUOmpn692LRSO5oLW8ielR2HmdcxRsa0KlLJ4vZTIrW4lbKxjwwg3xZGYNsO0AtkmrTtEIDH_Tl2GirbkjZp_7AtBr98KdBaOw/s320/Depositphotos_39290797_xl-2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>It had not been the night any of us had wanted, but it was what it was. Fortunately, the women in my family somewhat defy stereotype and we all wanted to watch the Super Bowl, (I'm not sure who wanted to watch it for the game, the half time show or the ads, or all 3).</p><p>So there the three of us were, my Grandma admitted to the hospital in an unfamiliar state, watching the Super Bowl. It was the strangest human ER experience I ever had. I could not believe the care and attention my Grandma received. Someone was popping into her room every few minutes to check on her, offer food, offer water, extra pillows, blankets. Doctors and nurses were so attentive! I don't remember who said it, or how we figured it out, but apparently my Grandma's room had become known around the ER by the staff as "the one that has the Super Bowl game on." So.... if you ever find yourself in an ER on Super Bowl Sunday, make sure to turn the game on, even if you don't watch football.<br /></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9083228261989695526.post-38374117740847021302021-01-25T21:00:00.005-08:002021-01-25T21:00:04.785-08:00Tips that are helping me survive parenting during the era of Coronavirus....<p>While I always suspected that Coronavirus and its restrictions would last longer than the 2 weeks people initially thought to "bend the curve." I honestly didn't think it would be into 2021 (at least initially). I know God is giving blessings through this time of grief and struggle. I know there are silver linings. I also know people who have lost people. This time is hard for everyone and in different ways. My husband and I certainly are not experts on parenting, or regarding Coronavirus, but I thought I'd share some of the things we have done to try to maintain our sanity, and our kid's.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzBmtj8-Vv7rBWVMCEuGDAnYZEtRY7pqc0OzGrso-0m8XSj36akMyUN8Dp2ugGa3rg-FnV_cWPe5lR3DmttrpQvnfxIXp_VYHenjqHkr0xbEzTfK_rMQUleVFsjVYgNrT4aH9xoP7-t8/s2048/Depositphotos_360766750_ds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzBmtj8-Vv7rBWVMCEuGDAnYZEtRY7pqc0OzGrso-0m8XSj36akMyUN8Dp2ugGa3rg-FnV_cWPe5lR3DmttrpQvnfxIXp_VYHenjqHkr0xbEzTfK_rMQUleVFsjVYgNrT4aH9xoP7-t8/s320/Depositphotos_360766750_ds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>1) Virtual School- understand that other people if they have lower elementary school kids also think that virtual school could be a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit (if you are not living it). Allow kids to be squirmy. My son's teacher even suggested a stool (Kore) that is meant for kids who need to move constantly and it seems to work well for my kid. He is allowed to squirm and move without being overly distracting. </p><p>2) One silver lining- a lot more time with our famil<br />y and I mean a lot... Which sometimes means we drive each other crazy. Also a time for creativity, although sometimes I feel like I'm living in a Lego store or in the middle of a musical (both my husband and son will break into song randomly), I do appreciate some of these memories. We do get sick of each other sometimes though, so I think it was around the summer when we discovered we had talked to each other all day and didn't really have anything more to talk about come dinner time, we started listening to audiobooks. This has been enjoyable and we've been able to share books together.</p><p>3) Every time you wash your hands, say a Memorare for those suffering with COVID or struggling during this time. I'm not sure which Catholic social media I read or saw this idea on, but I'm trying to do it more often and I certainly wash my hands a ton, especially when working.</p><p>4) Institute some new routines. Even though my husband has converted me to the idea of menu planning, we hadn't really had a routine before. Now I've tried to institute "Taco Tuesday," "Movie and Pizza Friday" and "Burgers on Sunday". Anything that can help conserve a few of my neurons, is helpful and I think routines are good for kids. In this time when my kid knows everything is up in the air, at least he knows he has some nights where he will have his favorite foods to look forward to.</p><p>5) What does neuroscience say? It says that touch and presence are the most important for helping kids be resilient. Study after study has shown that kids who've had trauma in their life are more resilient when they experience touch and presence. Especially during the Spring when everything was new and very stressful, we instituted "family tickle time" at the end of the day. My son loves to be tickled and we've found his "love language" if you know Gary Chapman's book is touch. Whether it's tickling or allowing extra time in the day for "cuddle time" we've definitely been emphasizing giving our son this feeling of security. Playing basketball with my son and making a conscious decision to be present has also helped.</p><p>6) Indoor trampoline. Even though my house is already too cluttered with toys, the indoor trampoline my son got from his grandparents for his birthday has been helpful for everyone. If the weather is too rough to get outside, it's great exercise and if my kid wants to binge watch "Wild Kratts" or "Lion Guard" I tell him it's fine as long as he is jumping on the trampoline wearing himself out. To be honest, I've found if I too much anxiety or pent up energy I enjoy jumping my heart out.</p><p>7) Talking about feelings. Sometimes in my job (no, let me be honest, a LOT of the time), I can feel like a psychotherapist, sometimes navigating awkward family situations or explaining that sometimes behavioral problems originate in the home environment. I've had to bring that awareness home and talk with my son about feelings. That it's ok to feel sad, anxious, angry, scared. That it's ok to feel these things and at the same time feel, happy, excited and content. There are things COVID has taken away from us, but there are also blessings that we have found. This is certainly difficult for adults to figure out sometimes, so it's something we have to actively talk about. I also created a punching pillow that we could punch when we got frustrated. This apparently made an impression on our son as he shared it with his grandma a couple of days later.</p><p>8) Celebrate the Feast Days! Yes, this year we have discovered Saints that we hadn't known about previously because really, whenever you can have an excuse to have a celebration, it's worth it. While this has contributed to our waistlines, it's also helped us discover more about the pillars of our faith and those who have had heroic virtue before us. Going along with this, whenever you feel downtrodden about the time we live in, read about St. Catherine of Sienna. They had a pandemic in her time, as well as political unrest. Sound familiar?</p><p>9) Give grace. I'm pretty good about giving myself grace, what I've found I really need to work on is giving everyone else grace. Whether it's my kid who's having a meltdown that I think he's too old to have, or an adult who's having a meltdown (yes, this happens a lot in my career), or it's unsolicited comments about all the ways I'm lacking (whether it's being able to keep all the balls I'm juggling in the air, or the extra pounds I've put on, or the extra alcohol I may have consumed), everyone needs grace. This does not mean bad behavior is excused (especially for an adult), but it does mean that I need to keep my inner volcano from erupting and maybe bite my tongue, or breathe several long breaths before responding.</p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15100622769865090099noreply@blogger.com0