Tonight, like many other nights, I find myself alone in my house. Sometimes I choose the solitude, sometimes I don't. On the evenings when the seclusion is involuntary, loneliness isn't far behind.
I wouldn't say that I'm a people person. I'm certainly an introvert. Yet I'm also an avid observer, and with nothing to observe... I guess you could say that I lose my greatest source of entertainment! I enjoy - nay, I need - to live with other people. Home is my center; it is where I like to spend my time, no matter what my home looks like (I've had 6 in the past 6 years). So an empty home is just immensely sad to me.
I brought this to my spiritual director last year, and he told me that loneliness isn't something that depends upon how many people are in your life. My life won't be miraculously cured of loneliness when I start dating, get married, or have a house full of kids. It is a reality of life. He said to me, "A priest can have a wonderful time celebrating a Christmas Eve mass with his parish, but he has to go home to the rectory and no one is waiting for him."
Talk about a little perspective. The men who guide us in our faith face a far deeper loneliness than I can comprehend. Their sole consolation is the company of Jesus Christ, as it should be for us all. And quite frankly, how can one compare the company of humans, who fail and are imperfect, with the company of our steadfast and perfect Lord?
Now when I feel loneliness nipping at the edges of my heart, I rejoice, for it drives me into the arms of Christ. It is a reminder that Jesus is always with me, wherever I am, and He alone can satisfy the longing for love in my heart.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thirst Quenchers
Hello again! I've been feeling the itch of getting back in this space for some time, then realized that I'll never have a perfect "prodigal" post (how's that for alliteration?), and should just dive back in!
Since the tagline for this blog is "drinking in books, music, life, and God", I would like to share some of my discoveries with you.
Music
It has been an exciting couple months for "girl music", as a certain 3 year old calls it. In September, I was turned on to the music of Elizabeth Mitchell. To put her into a genre seems like a crime, but she writes and performs mainly children's music. It's the lovely blend of folk and contemporary that makes me want to lie in the grass and watch clouds go by for hours, in love with the beauty of our world. Very peaceful.
In the last month, The Wailin' Jennys have been on repeat. Similar to Elizabeth Mitchell, they're folky, guitar-based, a little bluegrass, a little pop-y. It's a group of three women who harmonize on all songs. I wouldn't say their music is groundbreaking, but it's comforting and so lovely. I'm trying to commit some of their songs to memory as part of my kiddo repertoire - you can seriously entertain some kids by busting out a song every once in a while.
Books
If you're a fan of older-child chapter books (the title "Young Adult" doesn't quite fit here), especially those with a touch of fantasy, check out The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling. Set in Dickensian England (-ish), we begin with young Penelope Lumley, recent graduate of the Swanburn Academy for Poor Bright Females, as she is hired on to govern three ferule children found in the woods. Ahead of her is the challenge to get them to behave like proper children, with lofty intentions of teaching them Latin verbs. Two words: LOVED IT!
For the young child in all of us comes Bunny Days. I can't recommend this book highly enough. All the children to whom I've read it have LOVED it. Beautiful, simple illustrations, sparse narration, slightly silly humor - this book's got it all! Seriously, just check it out.
I'll be back soon with more depth later. For now, it's just good to be back!
Since the tagline for this blog is "drinking in books, music, life, and God", I would like to share some of my discoveries with you.
Music
It has been an exciting couple months for "girl music", as a certain 3 year old calls it. In September, I was turned on to the music of Elizabeth Mitchell. To put her into a genre seems like a crime, but she writes and performs mainly children's music. It's the lovely blend of folk and contemporary that makes me want to lie in the grass and watch clouds go by for hours, in love with the beauty of our world. Very peaceful.In the last month, The Wailin' Jennys have been on repeat. Similar to Elizabeth Mitchell, they're folky, guitar-based, a little bluegrass, a little pop-y. It's a group of three women who harmonize on all songs. I wouldn't say their music is groundbreaking, but it's comforting and so lovely. I'm trying to commit some of their songs to memory as part of my kiddo repertoire - you can seriously entertain some kids by busting out a song every once in a while.
Books
If you're a fan of older-child chapter books (the title "Young Adult" doesn't quite fit here), especially those with a touch of fantasy, check out The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling. Set in Dickensian England (-ish), we begin with young Penelope Lumley, recent graduate of the Swanburn Academy for Poor Bright Females, as she is hired on to govern three ferule children found in the woods. Ahead of her is the challenge to get them to behave like proper children, with lofty intentions of teaching them Latin verbs. Two words: LOVED IT!For the young child in all of us comes Bunny Days. I can't recommend this book highly enough. All the children to whom I've read it have LOVED it. Beautiful, simple illustrations, sparse narration, slightly silly humor - this book's got it all! Seriously, just check it out.
I'll be back soon with more depth later. For now, it's just good to be back!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Taking a Break
As of tonight, December 26 2009, I am taking a leave of absence from the blogosphere for an undetermined length of time. God has put it on my heart to simplify my life in terms of the amount of both media input and media output. The internet is a dangerous place to say things, partially because you don't know who's reading, but more importantly (I think) because it's a faceless medium with no consequences. By this, I mean to say that one feels liberated to say things online which one would never dream of saying in person, and is therefore unhealthy and unbalanced.
I keep this blog largely because I like having my little soapbox on the internet. While I am grateful for those of you who do read what I write, I must always be mindful of my intentions with this tool. Right now, it exists for selfish reasons. It has become an outlet for feelings and frustrations that belong in prayer alone. (You may not feel that way, but you must believe this is the reality of my internal struggle.) Also, I think blogs are best put to use when they are a medium for sharing passions, and my passion has become... parenting. Yet I find myself in the strange predicament of not actually being qualified to talk about my passion. With all these ideas, struggles, and emotions whirling around in my soul, I know that I must turn from my computer to simple pen and paper, and from the faceless internet to me-and-Jesus time.
Simply put? I'm at a huge emotional transition in my life, and the last thing I should be doing is talking about things online which I have very little business talking about. There's so much GOOD content out there, and I don't feel like I'm contributing to that. So with that, I take my leave. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I hope God will lead me back soon. In the meantime, here are some of the blogs I idolize and love:
Soule Mama
Conversion Diary
Betty Duffy
Sorta Crunchy
Holy Experience
Ta-ta and God Bless,
Katie
I keep this blog largely because I like having my little soapbox on the internet. While I am grateful for those of you who do read what I write, I must always be mindful of my intentions with this tool. Right now, it exists for selfish reasons. It has become an outlet for feelings and frustrations that belong in prayer alone. (You may not feel that way, but you must believe this is the reality of my internal struggle.) Also, I think blogs are best put to use when they are a medium for sharing passions, and my passion has become... parenting. Yet I find myself in the strange predicament of not actually being qualified to talk about my passion. With all these ideas, struggles, and emotions whirling around in my soul, I know that I must turn from my computer to simple pen and paper, and from the faceless internet to me-and-Jesus time.
Simply put? I'm at a huge emotional transition in my life, and the last thing I should be doing is talking about things online which I have very little business talking about. There's so much GOOD content out there, and I don't feel like I'm contributing to that. So with that, I take my leave. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I hope God will lead me back soon. In the meantime, here are some of the blogs I idolize and love:
Soule Mama
Conversion Diary
Betty Duffy
Sorta Crunchy
Holy Experience
Ta-ta and God Bless,
Katie
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