Family

Unfortunately, unplanned pregnancies are often seen in a negative light in society. For those of us who face them while married and in good health and financial status, an unplanned pregnancy might add a few months of unplanned stress to…

The joy of having special-needs children

The family may be regarded as the cradle of civil society, and it is in great measure within the circle of family life that the destiny of states is fostered. — Pope Leo XIII

It’s that time of year again. Time to make a list of resolutions for the new year and forget about them before the month of January comes to an end. Or at least that’s how it usually goes for me. No matter what your resolutions are, if you…

Grief has no timeline. There are moments in which memories of our deceased loved ones flicker in both the mind and heart, unexpectedly and unbidden. Our calendar years are peppered with these intense emotions of heartbreak and tenderness,…

You have probably heard it said that kids spell love T-I-M-E. Most of us know instinctively that this is true. But knowing doesn’t necessarily make it easy to put into practice. Time is the one thing most of us claim to lack, no matter…

The Joneses — that family down the street or (nowadays) on Facebook who always have the best of everything. As the outsider looking in, it seems like life is amazing for them. Maybe it’s the car that never breaks down or the house that’s…

It was a Sunday afternoon when my eldest daughter, Ella, came upstairs to tell me in a worried voice, “Grandpa says he’s going to town. I told him that it was too dangerous, but he won’t listen to me.” I went downstairs dreading a…

Q. The youngest of our four children is leaving for college at the end of the summer. He is counting the days until he begins this new adventure, but as the day of his departure grows closer, I can feel myself growing more anxious. I’m…

Q. Our family dog, Rory, is nearly 15 years old. When we got him, our children were seven, five, three, and a newborn. They have virtually no memory of life before we brought Rory into our family. He has been a great pet. His presence in…