Letters on Relationship

Dear Ladies, I have desired to be a wife and mother for as long as I can remember. Can you relate?

God had invited me to this specific place at this specific time. He had uniquely situated me to build bridges and instead I had built a wall around myself.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was ecstatic, however the realization that I didn’t know “how” to be a mother slowly set in.

I want to affirm you that your worth is not embellished in the hands of those who speak and act unkindly.

"I was sitting in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the other day - it was a women’s only meeting - and I was struck by how honest, vulnerable and real everyone’s shares were. I wondered if I had been to any Catholic women’s gatherings where…"

“A few years ago, on a fairly ordinary, cloudy Thursday afternoon, I went to the dentist. The dental hygienist was pleasant enough, and asked the fairly ordinary and benign question, ‘How’s your day going?’ as she rummaged through her supplies. I replied, ‘It’s been alright.’ She nodded without looking up. And in that moment I was flooded with a loneliness I’d never known before.

That morning I had gotten civilly divorced…”

"On January 14, 2017 I married the love of my life in my home parish in Miami. On January 16th we boarded separate flights to our respective cities. He had been working in Boston for 6 months and I was still struggling to finish my PhD in Atlanta."

“…When we are choosing between two goods, it can be difficult to see which path to take. We want to do God’s will; we want to live for Him and follow the path He has laid out for us, but if we come to a fork in the road, and He doesn’t clearly point which way to go, we can get stuck. And I was very, very stuck.”

"Working from home is not without its difficulties. I struggle to put down my work and be present to my family. ...But the big picture keeps me going – I am so lucky to be able to provide for my family inside the home and outside."

“‘How are you still single?’ That question really doesn’t make you feel any better, does it?”

“Is your life filled with unexpected twists and turns? Have you faced uncertainty in times of hardship when things did not go as planned? My dearest sister, I know this story too well.”

“Those with disabilities and their caretakers live every day as champions of intrinsic human worth. Let’s learn from them, join with them, and take steps to expand their space in our Church.”

"I grew up believing I was born to be a Mother. It was not a question or a wonder; it was something I was certain of. But the things I arrive at 46 years old, both with and without, surprising me."

"Community is best when it’s comprised of people who see beauty in our insecurities, who look for the redemption in the midst of our failure, and who strive to love who we truly are instead of who the world suggests we should be."

While taking a year off of her work as the co-founder and creative director of Verily Magazine to focus on motherhood, Janet Easter was confronted with a great unknown: who she is without work. 

"Dear Sister, 'There’s nothing wrong with you. You are God’s beloved daughter.' The words hit me like a brick in my chest. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing."

"...the hardest, transformative experience of my life has been going through a divorce and annulment as a 31 year old Catholic woman..."

"Dear Friend, Never underestimate the healing power of empathy..."

"My Dear Sister, as the world turns the corner and steps into a New Year, it is a time-honored tradition to think about new beginnings. I don’t know about you but I find this to be somewhat challenging at times, especially if you.."

"Dear sweet sisters, We are this, because of that. Sometimes when life sucker punches us, we lament about the suffering and the pain and the loss..."

"Dear Sisters in Christ, there is much more to life than meets the eye – a saying we all hear, but don’t comprehend until we have the opportunity to look back..."

"My name is Chelsea, I am 30 years old, mother to three little girls. As I write this I am watching my oldest play on the porch. It's a warm, spring day. She's singing and playing with sticks in the sunshine. It's a beautiful moment..."

"My dear Sisters, as women there is an undeniable tug on our hearts to love. How we each express this is as numerous as there are women on the earth & in history..."

"To my dear sister: Several summers have since passed, but the moment feels so close that I could reach out and grasp it: the off-kilter fan on her back porch toddled loudly, trying to create a sense of relief from the thickly humid summer air..."

"My dear sisters in Christ, I would like to start this letter by introducing you to my grandmother, Luisa Yanes-Paumier. Born in Santiago de Cuba, she married a Navy sailor & had three daughters. When Fidel Castro came into power..."

"My dear sisters, I have three older brothers. Strong, compassionate, funny and kind, they are one of my greatest blessings. Though close in age to one another, there is a significant age gap between myself and them..."

"Dear sisters, it was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I was 20 weeks pregnant, working full time, my husband a masters student. We were preparing to enter the Church, and facing a lot of opposition to our decision..."

Thank you Sarah for sharing with us how your grandmother, your boss and Saint Anne have had a substantial impact on your life as a woman.