I started this blog, my first, on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist's beheading. It's been a wild ride, but it has calmed down since I started moderating the comments....to celebrate my 43rd post, I am feeling...
1. admiration for beautiful and well-written blogs like Conversion Diary and Secret Vatican Spy. Not only are they well-designed, they both tell the stories of brave change. One writer was an atheist all her life; the other was an Evangelical Christian. To convert is to be sincere about your faith, but it can be scary. I am also a convert, but I made the change with my entire family when I was twelve. These writers have converted as adults and not always of the support of those close to them.
2. educated by blogs like What Does the Prayer Really Say? Personally (that's redundant; everything here is personal), I think that Father Z is the perfect combination of tough-as-nails intellectualism and approachability. I was never that interested in the subject of theology, but the blogs on my blogroll have taught me a lot.
3. a wee bit jealous of a friend with a blog begun at the same as mine- with ten times the followers and page views. It's a fashion blog. This is my opportunity to practice humility. Not many people are interested in my story- or maybe they are confused by this blog. Is it a mommy blog? a God blog? a craft blog? (no one has excused me of being a craft blog- but I would like to be, a little, occasionally) In any case, comparing page views is like comparing numbers of Facebook friends- silly and unfruitful.
4. hopeful that one day I'll be more like Leila on Like Mother, Like Daughter. I suppose I should start with dinner and the laundry.
5. thrilled that a few people are interested in the Byzantine rite and the concept of the Eastern Catholic married priesthood. My goal with this blog is this- people in general and Western-rite Catholics specifically will understand about the different rites of the Church. Christians will understand that Eastern-rite Catholics are examples of the unity that we seek.
6. isolated. Writing this blog has driven home to me that my family does not belong. And that's okay. We are in the minority; why should people care that much? If I feel different, my husband must feel worse. He recently went to the priests' conference at the local Roman-rite archdiocese where he has bi-ritual faculties. He was one of two (the other being an older man who had been an Anglican priest) priests there who was married out of over 800 men. If we lived in the old country, he would be the normal one, except for the American wife.
7. embarrassed when I make a spelling or grammatical error. As an ex-English major, there is nothing worse than making an inadvertent spelling error. I can edit all I want, but little mistakes creep in.This is yet another way that my little blogging adventure calls me to humility.
Here's to 43 more blog posts! Who knows where time will take us?
I think you're pretty awesome and inspiring. I grew up Catholic and after a few wonky teenage years, I'm trying to recommit myself. Blogs like yours help me feel not so alone. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteBut really, who DOES belong? I am going this weekend to chaperon my highschoolers to our annual archdiocesan beach trip, where I know that the Labyrinth will be experienced instead of the Rosary, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, fashion is extremely broad--- of course your friend has more followers! I would think of your readers as of better quality. (I run a fashion blog myself.)
Keep on truckin', I love your blog!
Mary Teresa- with a name like that- you have to stay Catholic :) !
ReplyDeleteLouise- oooo- you could bring rosaries and introduce the kids to a cool 'meditation' practice...very clandestine
Love this post! The world needs more humility. :)
ReplyDeleteToo weird. Last night, I was going to write a post about loneliness and lack of belonging in many aspects of life, but decided to install mini blinds instead. (Well, just one was put up last night...) I think writing about that topic, last night, might have made me more depressed about certain situations. Maybe I'll write it when I'm in a better frame of mind.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to the other points above, I feel similarly. Especially the "what kind of blog is this???"
I am interested in your story--and I know you want to remain anonymous, but I would love to hear how you met your DH and your adventures here especially regarding being a working priest (w/ a job besides a pastor/parish).
Oh, one more thing. I am very impressed by your followers--my blog has been around longer than yours and I have 1/5 or 1/6 as many followers as you. You must be doing something right :)
ReplyDeleteRabbit- maybe it is that time of year...a bit melancholic.
ReplyDeleteand even if I don't have tons of readers- I really appreciate the people who do stop by- sometimes it can be fun, looking at stats. I usually get 1 page view from South Korea a day- who is that? :)
"If I try to be like him, who will be like me?"
ReplyDeleteYiddish proverb. We are all different and have different fingerprints to prove it. The cross you and your family have to bear "should" not be so big, but you are also a light to many people.
Don't worry how many people follow you. Just remember who You follow.
Love your blog and passion.
Carolyn Frances- I love those Yiddish sayings- and you made a new one for the 21st century
ReplyDeleteI empathize with the "jealous" part. Happens to me all the time, and probably for the same reasons: I'm too eclectic. But eh, bien.
ReplyDeleteLiving in the midwest we don't get exposure to many of the rites in union with Rome. I find the whole thing fascinating. Tell us. Educate us. Please!
Aww, PW, you are too sweet. Thank you for your kind words, I genuinely appreciate them - and I genuinely love your blog! I'm so grateful to have a chance to get a glimpse of your very special life. Blessings to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteI really like the mix of different things on your blog! And I'm so glad that I found it. It's great to learn about the Byzantine rite! Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteI discovered you via Conversion Diary and I really enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteWhen you feel "challenged", put yourself in the position of an abandoned spouse, abandoned by their promised helpmate, by society who forces them to pay their abandoner and the lover and, finally, abandoned by the Church itself' who supports their isolation and persecution.
ReplyDeletePerhaps your husband and yourself might feel "blessed" that you have not been asked to bear, what such a person as a faithful, abandoned, Catholic spouse has to bear.....every single day.
God bless you, dear, your husband and your children.
I am beginning to understand that God, actually, wants us to share in
His miracle of salvation and that it is, truly, a "blessing" to be asked what I am asked to embrace. It is refused to be embraced by the clergy, all the way up, so God has accepted "the least of his children" to share with Him, what his own priesthood, rejects, openly. Now, I must work to truly love those who persecute those like me, whether with full knowledge or chosen ignorance, God loves ALL of us.
I love Him, so I must grow to be like Him. A tall task, indeed. But each person is worth it to God and must be to me, as well, to become more like, Him.
Anonymous- it sounds like you have been given a heavy cross to bear- it is a wonderful thing that you have not given in to despair- I am sure that God sees your dedication and will bless you!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the jealousy. No one seems to visit my out of the way blog, meanwhile I've watched lots of others in the St Blog Parish gets lots of visits and attention. Like you said, its a lesson in humility.
ReplyDeleteWow, I think you have a great following for 43 posts! (Maybe I'm just jealous, LOL) I also can't confine myself to a niche (Catholic? Homeschooling? Crafting? Kid journal? etc, etc.) But it's just fun, either way. And sometimes a cozy group in a corner of the blog world is just the thing. Keep up the great work!!
ReplyDeleteCould we all blog without looking at the stats, the number of page views, the number of followers? Could we just leave the success or otherwise of our blogs to Our Lady? If any good comes out of them, she will ensure their success. This is a constant thought of mine. I wonder a lot about the humility of blogging. Could it lead to pride? By the way, I do check stats and notice page counts despite my thoughts! My blog is only little. But I do wish I could keep to my resolution of not being bothered by success and popularity. God bless.
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