Relationships

Here we go again, I thought to myself as I entered the care facility to visit “Margaret,” the woman to whom I was assigned to visit as a volunteer with a local hospice organization. I drew a breath, said a quick prayer, knocked on the door,…

Summer is the season of fun in the sun! The blessing about summer is that the overall pace of life has slowed down, the days are longer, and typically you have more time to squeeze in extra social gatherings, fun with family and friends, or…

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,…

by Sean Patrick Eating out was something one just didn’t do in our world. “Why waste good money on food that you can prepare better yourself?” Mama often complained when she looked at the streams of people going toward Leah’s Home Cooking…

by Sean Patrick I was looking over Danny’s shoulder into the Fanny Farmer Choice Candies box where Mama kept the tiny items that meant something special to her. There, hard as a rock and with only the barest hint of color on the tip of one…

by Michele Faihnle Eleven years ago I took my son to a Protestant church for vacation Bible school. The second I walked in the door, people introduced themselves, welcomed me, asked my name, and directed me where to go. Every morning that…

by Emily Jaminet Today people are more socially connected by technology than ever before, yet there is a growing trend of loneliness. An estimated 40 percent of Americans have been lonely at one point in their lives. In a 2018 Cigna study,…

Faced with difficult situations, three sets of grandparents each welcomed a grandbaby into their home. These stories show how those decisions graced their lives and the lives of their grandchildren.

BY GARY ZIMAK Do you know what it’s like to feel hopeless? I sure do. It’s happened on many occasions, but one incident stands out for me. It took place 22 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My wife and I were sitting in…

The Catholic Church has always extolled the virtue and dignity of work. Popes have written about it. Catholic social teaching explains the theological foundation of it. We even have a patron saint for workers in St. Joseph. So what are we…