A new religion in our American culture is rapidly gaining devout followers. Its followers are typically between the ages of about twenty-two and fifty and there are generally more women than men. This religion does not seem to produce much satisfaction or peace. Many of its followers end up frazzled, stressed, and scrupulous, and find their marriages […]
Why all the moms you see look stressed
The other day I saw a picture on social media of a little girl dressed as a “mom” for Halloween. It wasn’t a flattering depiction. The little girl had painted bags under her eyes and messy hair and she was dressed in a t-shirt covered in fake spit-up. She was dragging a baby doll behind […]
Let’s Fall in Love with Christmas Again
It’s a common misconception that Christmas is only for children. But Christmas is for everybody. Children are just better at celebrating it. As adults, we can get so focused on the preparations and the subsequent return to normalcy that we forget to savor the very point of it all. We cook and clean and then […]
How to participate in gift-giving without participating in materialism
Materialism is an obvious problem in America and it is made more obvious during the holiday season. Many people blame Christmas, or at least Christmas gift-giving, for this materialism. But materialism can happen with or without gifts. Whether it be iPads or beach trips or going out to bars, we become materialistic when we are […]
No Santa? But What About the Magic?
I’ve written before about why we aren’t doing Santa in the traditional sense. We love and appreciate him and want to maintain his spirit through both his real Saint namesake and through his fairy tale, but we won’t be insisting that he delivers our children’s gifts on Christmas Day. I am a bit unique in the camp of […]
Why Santa doesn’t come to our house
I love Santa (to be distinguished here from the historical St. Nicholas, who I also love). I don’t mean I “love” him in the way that I “love” the color green or goat cheese. I love Santa in a way that makes me tear up at the thought of him. I love Santa more than any […]
