When all else fails, when the demands of everyday life become just too overwhelming to handle - the best advice I've ever received is to "just show up." Showing up is not an act of failure, nor is it an admission of giving up. Rather it is an opportunity to press pause and wait until... Continue Reading →

She'd be waiting for us in her sunlit kitchen with something delicious set beautifully on the counter - a bottle of wine cooling in the fridge, a candle flickering in the distance. It wouldn't matter if you were arriving for a holiday, weekend or just another day of the week, the greeting was always the same... Continue Reading →

A dreary, rainy winter afternoon is not the best time to look through beautiful old cards from a beloved soul who has recently gone home to God, but that is where I found myself with the hope of finding a missing envelope. My cousin had called looking for information on my mom's chemo grant for... Continue Reading →

We all need a little joy in our lives but for many, this emotion can be fleeting - hard to find...hard to keep. I used to think folks experienced a lack of joy when life presented difficult challenges. Nowadays, it seems like folks experience a lack of joy even when things are going well. This... Continue Reading →

Have you ever received an extraordinary gift and taken it for granted? How many times has something really awesome happened in your life and yet you failed to acknowledge the source of the miracle? Unfortunately, Facebook reminded me that I am guilty of these charges. I was taken aback this week when I logged onto... Continue Reading →

I've always had an aversion for New Year's resolutions. They seem so trivial and easily broken. Every year I hear "I resolve to lose weight..." or "I resolve to be more patient..." or my personal favorite "I resolve to spend less and stick to a strict budget." The person making such resolutions usually lasts a... Continue Reading →

She had a smile which would warm even the coldest heart. She was the rarest of gems. Her light filled soul brought joy to all who knew her. The love which she gave away so freely, flowed from the deepest part of her soul - the place where only God resides. Joan Mary Franciose Powers... Continue Reading →

She would wake before dawn to ensure that everything was *perfect* for our special day. Streamers, balloons, homemade signs in her signature left-handed script would adorn the walls of the family dining room. It was pure magic because she made it that way - our birthday - the one day of the year when she... Continue Reading →

The pre-dawn hours of the morning are magical in their own special way. I experience the gift of this mysterious part of the day while driving through the winding back roads of several small towns located west of Boston on my way to St.Joseph's School. My passenger is a delightfully content seventh grader - easy... Continue Reading →

So much happens in the period of ninety days: facial features of a baby develop in a mother's womb, a leisurely summer season passes in joyful enjoyment, an overseas study abroad program is happily experienced by college students and health benefits finally kick in at a new job. Sitting quietly in the chapel this afternoon I... Continue Reading →

As I entered the sacred space it looked exactly the same to me -  sadly this time it was different. I made my way down the long side aisle to the place where we sat together in prayer only 11 short months ago. The last time I had been in this cavernous, majestic place of... Continue Reading →

When I close my eyes I can still hear her soft voice and picture her beautiful face and deep brown eyes looking lovingly at me. She is kneeling next to my bed - it is a chilly winter's eve - she reminds me that on this Feast Day of St. Andrew, it is time to... Continue Reading →

She'd be standing in the kitchen, apron tied snugly around her waist. Delicious Thanksgiving smells - turkey, stuffing, scalloped potatoes, mashed turnip and more - would be emanating from her kitchen. The table sparkled like something out of Traditional Home magazine - she would have spent weeks planning the perfect color candles, linen napkins and crowd favorite -... Continue Reading →

The alarm sounded at dawn in our hotel room. Her Irish dance shoes were freshly polished and placed neatly by the door alongside the stunning new Irish costume which sparkled brightly in the morning light. The day began like every other Oireachtas weekend (Regional Irish Dance championship) only this time it was different. As we... Continue Reading →

It's late - prayers have been said, books have been read but a dim light casts a white glow into the dark hallway. I slowly push the door open and find him staring into the distance. "What's up buddy, time for bed?" I ask. "I'm just contemplating where Nona is at this very moment." he responds.... Continue Reading →

The flaming red and orange leaves, illuminated by the late fall sun, cast a glow on the beautiful cemetery grounds. Stepping onto the grass where she lay caused my heart to stop, for just a moment, as I caught my breath and remembered that I was standing on holy ground. "I'm here...I love you..." I hear... Continue Reading →

If asked about your faith in God, what would you say? For most of us, I guess it would depend on the day and our present life circumstances. I was recently reading a journal entry about Mom from 3 years ago, which caused me to ponder this important life question in a whole new way.... Continue Reading →

She willed herself to attend despite the pain in her bones and throughout her body. It would have been very easy for her to make an excuse to stay home. One month before our Lord called her to heaven, riddled with stage 4 cancer, Joan Mary donned her best smile along with a perfectly beautiful... Continue Reading →

I am sure everyone reading this post has had a moment or two in life when he/she has asked this question. I've asked it myself over the years and perhaps more frequently over the past few weeks. And then something happened today. I was thinking about this question while on my morning walk in the... Continue Reading →

My emotions were mixed today, heading out to the annual Montrose School Mother Daughter Brunch. I was proud that my baby girl Emma would be leading the crowd in prayer as the Senior Class President but also sad that this would be my last time attending this lovely, memorable event. I was also quite nostalgic thinking... Continue Reading →