Coffee clicks: December 15th
Even though it’s the shortest possible Advent, liturgically speaking, I’m still kind of feeling like things are craaaaawling by. Christmas is 10 days away, which is so soon. But when I stop to think I might still be pregnant 10 days from now…. well, yeah.
At any rate, it’ll be a magical sort of progression of time between now and then for our family, baby or no. Today is Evie’s 4th birthday, which she marked by coming downstairs at 3 am to snuggle while I was up being a pseudo-productive insomniac. We cuddled for a while before I convinced her that it was, in fact, still nighttime, as evidenced by the Christmas lights glowing merrily out the window.
Tonight we have the Christmas program at school, and then tomorrow, the absolute highlight of Advent 2017: STAR WARS. Also my birthday celebration with my parents, all my adult siblings + spouses. If I ever doubted God’s love for me, that silly notion was laid to rest when Disney bought Lucasfilm and started cranking out a brand spanking new iteration of everyone’s favorite space opera every December for the past 4 years. Hashtag very blessed.
Next week the kids have just a few days of school, culminating in a half day on the 21st, my 35th birthday and the official starting point of the “advanced maternal age” portion of this pregnancy. It’s also the day of my brother’s rehearsal dinner, with his wedding to follow on the 22nd. Then it’s basically the best day of the year, Christmas Adam, a brief extra-liturgical pause solemnly observed in my family of origin by watching Home Alone and singing karaoke and maybe cigars (though not his year) and perhaps getting the tree totally decorated before a blur of long Masses and joyous celebration…
And so help me, if I am still pregnant come Boxing Day (which, despite the flurry of activity this week is still a distinct possibility) I don’t know what stamina or motivation I will have left.
So that’s what my Google calendar looks like for the rest of December. Whew.
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I have some great links this week, starting with a story that is close to home and utterly heartwarming:
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I temporarily scrapped another, lighter-hearted piece (forthcoming early next week) while pondering the occasion of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day earlier this week. I remembered how much she had helped me through Genevieve’s delivery, now 4 years ago, and since then have been asking her intercession as this current resident’s exit date draws near:
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Maybe you don’t know this about me (though after that disclosure towards the beginning, it’s a little more obvious) but I’m probably the biggest female Star Wars fan you’ve ever met who is simultaneously living a normal looking life (no cosplay or card games or weird conventions). But find yourself signed up for a Jedi trivia night at your local neighborhood pub and missing a 4th teammmate? You’re gonna want to call me. Or maybe Bishop Conley, if I’m not available.
“But yea though ewok through the valley of the shadow of death, Bishop Conley feared no evil, and found a fisherman brave enough to take his group of friends to the island, because Han-YOLO.”
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Great news out of Ohio for anyone who claims to care about the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. It always puzzles me that, on the whole, culture warriors and social justice activists aren’t more impassioned about the rights of people with Down Syndrome. Seems the polar opposite of progressive.
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This piece is a long but essential read. My parents have been calling abortion a “sacrament” of the secularist religion since I can first remember talking about it around the dinner table, and Eberstadt’s piece magnificently distills the tenants and dogmas of this brave new religion into non-academic sized bites. (But boy, when I read heavy hitting pieces that go past 2,000 words, I sure am aware of how much the internet and social media have weakened/destroyed my attention span…)
“All of the expressions of animosity now aimed against Christianity by this new secularist faith share a common denominator. They are rooted in secularist dogma about the sexual revolution”
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Finally, did you catch this short (unaffiliated) video about harnassing the power of Amazon Prime Now for good? I was full on weeping by the end. Praying Amazon execs see it and take note.
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Do you follow CNA on Instagram? You want to. Also, even Popes have that one school picture that will follow them around for ever.
Happy (belated) ordination anniversary, Papa!
Happiest last week plus a day of Advent! It’s not too late to jump back on the horse if you’ve fallen slack in your preparations and add in a little sacrifice or penence here or there as the Christmas countdown ticks down. I like to try to turn off the Christmas music between now and the 24th to kind of reset my brain in preparation for celebration, and that will be especially necessary this year as I’ve been a little, ah, lax in my generally temperate pre-Christmas indulgence in James Taylor. Also planning to try to offer up the somewhat interminable nights of prodromal labor which seem temporarily here to stay, so please, if you have specific prayer intentions, please share them and I’ll remmber you while I’m not sleeping from 2-5 am for the next few weeks…
10 Comments
Robin
“Great news out of Ohio for anyone who claims to care about the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. It always puzzles me that, on the whole, culture warriors and social justice activists aren’t more impassioned about the rights of people with Down Syndrome. Seems the polar opposite of progressive.”
Every time I start to love your blog, you go and say things like this. Why? That article had virtually nothing about “culture warriors” or “social justice activists” yet you took the time to criticize them? I just truly do not understand why you are constantly vilifying a culture that you are so clearly not a part of.
In reality, Catholics have SO many things in common with these people who fight so hard for justice for the marginalized. In fact, Catholic social justice teaching is SUCH an amazing way to bring people like this into the church. I should know, because the social justice teachings of the Jesuits, and the commonality of the Benedictines is what inspired me to convert. Catholics are not just republicans, they can be democrats, and progressives, and socialists, and green party members. I hope you take the time to think about that next time you want to fire off a comment about people you don’t even know.
Jenny Uebbing
And yet it’s the left, Planned Parenthood, and other so called progressive organizations who are pushing so ruthlessly for the elimination of “inconvenient” people like fetuses with Down Syndrome. If you aren’t aware of this little tic of the left, I strongly urge you to do some reading and see what kinds of “solutions” they’ve found for less than perfect people.
Here are a few links to get you started:
http://www.lifenews.com/2017/10/12/planned-parenthood-opposes-bill-to-ban-abortions-on-babies-with-down-syndrome/ (literally the piece of legislation the link I shared refers to)
http://www.breitbart.com/abortion/2016/04/08/planned-parenthood-aclu-sue-indiana-law-banning-abortions-syndrome-babies/
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2012/10/ruth_bader_ginsburg_clears_up_her_views_on_abortion_population_control_and.html (second paragraph is especially chilling)
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2017/04/24/are-pro-life-americans-welcome-democratic-party-depends-who-you-ask
Robin
Well you just linked to Breitbart so… that is not in any way a credible news organization. I just ask that you open your mind a little bit. Every sister that ever been taught by was a die hard democrat. The left has problems, and no one is denying that, but you act like you can’t be a leftist and be a Catholic, and I would say that a lot of people disagree with that sentiment. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood sue against any law restricting abortion, it’s what they do. The ACLU also sues consistently to help disabled individuals have access to public places. I know, because I see those suits all the time in my work.
And not to mention the problems with the political right, which are legion and also fundamentally against the teachings of the Church. So, what I guess I am asking is, can we please just stop with the trolling of leftists who are trying to make the world a better place on blogs where they might actually find a home?
Jenny Uebbing
Sorry, I know too many beautiful people with DS to ever stop “trolling” (or is it sharing relevant content?) information that might make this world a saner, safer place on their behalf.
p.s. I read HuffPo, listen to NPR, and peruse America magazine. There is, surprisingly, still news and content to be found on sites you might fundamentally disagree with. It helps to be open minded about these things and not dismiss them out of hand because they don’t fit within your purview of acceptable sources. Life’s kind of boring when you’re only marching in lockstep with those who agree with you. And as for not knowing any of these people irl? Please, I did my undergrad at Boulder. In journalism. I know a socialist or two.
I’m not trying to be snarky with you, honestly, but it’s a little ironic that you’re complaining about me typecasting progressives (notorious pro abortionists all – I’d LOVE to meet one who is pro life and be proven wrong, though! Sincerely, with all my heart, I would) and then you dismiss a link because it comes from a source you proceed to stereotype.
Robin
I am clearly not making my point as well as I had hoped. I am telling you that I, and a lot of my friends, and every single one of the sisters who educated me from St. Wahlberg Monastery were progressive pro-lifers. I started reading this blog because I thought it would be a nice place to come in community. But that is obviously not going to happen.
Jenny Uebbing
Sorry to hear you feel that way, Robin. You came into this thread guns firing, so forgive me for lobbing a few back your way. Merry Christmas, and I apologize for any discomfort this exchange may have caused you. Also, I’m delighted to hear of progressive pro-life religious! I’ll keep my eyes out.
Robin
It’s alright. I am just grumpy, hopped up on cold medication, and apparently lashing out at extremely pregnant blog writers. **screams internally at self** Mea culpa.
Lisa
Lizzie and Mike brought us a little lighted tree to our tree-less home on Christmas Adam, when I was uber-pregnant with Audrey. Best gift ever!
Also, I LOVED Timothy Zahn’s books that continued Star Wars after Return of the Jedi, but I don’t know if it would be weird to read them now that the new movies have been coming out.
Cat
Ahhhh just the word “prodromal” intimidates me. I’ve had two kids but have no idea what that must be like. Surely it equals some time out of purgatory though. God bless you!
Anamaria
Love the piece on our lady of Guadelupe. For me it helps to remember that’s not fake labor. It is actually productive!! Things go more quickly later.
PS I know quite a few economically left pro-lifers. Many of whom don’t even use contraception. When I was in high school and college I used to be one, though I could never bring myself to vote left. The HHS mandate put a decisive end to a waning way of thinking for me, but I still know quite a few true social justice Catholics