Coffee clicks: October 12

Happy Friday dear readers. Loved the avalanche of responses I received in response to this blog from the beginning of the week – it is so essential for women to tell their stories. Every time you speak up and share from your own experience, you are empowering other women to do the same. We have lost so much of our collective wisdom, and seen a breakdown in the generational transmission of “how to” insert-life-skill-here. That becomes painfully obvious during pregnancy and the postpartum period, perhaps more so than at almost any other time in a woman’s life. Let’s come along side new mothers and old mothers and any mothers who think they’re doomed to going it alone, and get to work on the reconstruction of that village

1. Confusing news out of DC this morning. I admit when I read the details, I was more disappointed than I think I would be had nothing happened at all.
2. This long form story from our editor, JD Flynn, detailing one victim’s experience of pursuing justice is important. I think we will hear many more such stories in the months ahead, and it is so important that they are told.
3. I met the sweetest little namesake of this amazing man a couple weeks ago. His canonization – along with that of Bl. Pope Paul VI of Humanae Vitae fame – is coming up at the end of this month.
4. This story about an extraordinary athlete brought tears to my eyes, and it was a beautiful thing to show my kids. However, I did have mixed feelings about the good publicity Nike will get for this, and about the monetization of the heartstring factor. I wonder if it does enough to respect the personhood of the subject, and whether it is right for companies to engage in this kind of corporate activism. This comment from a Youtube views kind of sums it up for me: “This is marketing at its best. NIKE trying to save face. What is next, is NIKE going to sign a puppy. Also, shame on you NIKE for using Justin as your puppy?” I do think his dignity is being respected in the video, but it feels a little exploitive at the same time, you know?
5. Are you thinking about Advent yet? Blessed Is She released their gorgeous Advent study (available as an amazing bundle, too!) last week, and they always sell out fast.
6. I’ll be speaking in Nashville October 21-23 on the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae and what the lay faithful can do to turn the ship around, so to speak, in the culture. I’ll share times and locations with you when I have them!

Have a relaxing weekend.