A Daughter's Gift

When I was little, I would always pick the dandelions that grew in our yard and give them to my mom. She would always light up, and gush about how beautiful they were, putting them into a vase and on display. To her, they weren't weeds, rather they were a beautiful gift from her baby girl.

The other day, I started the 54 day Rosary Novena. This is my second attempt at it, and I'm already beginning to see the blessings Mama is bestowing upon me. The guide likens Hail Mary as a beautiful rose, and the entire Rosary as a beautiful bouquet of roses fastened together with the Prayer of Spiritual Communion for Mama to put upon her brow.

Here's the thing: I don't think my Hail Marys are roses. I get distracted, and often indulge the distractions. Sometimes I don't want to pray, and if I say the Rosary, it's because I'm forcing myself to. Sadly, my prayer is rarely done out of pure love for our Mama.

When I'm done with my prayer, I often don't feel like I have a beautiful wreath of roses, rather a pile of weeds.

But our mother loves us. And when we give her our dandelions, she accepts them with love and gratitude. She loves that we try.

My confirmation saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, said this about Mama: "What a joy to remember that she is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?"

When our mothers look at us, they don't see us as purely the mistakes we make, or our negative personality traits. Rather, we are their children. Their imperfect, beautiful children. Mama Mary is no different. She loves us, warts and all.

May our prayer grow and mature, and may we understand the love our Mama in heaven has for us, and our imperfection.

An Open Letter to Sisters at Shelton High School

To my beautiful sisters,

Last night was your prom, and I hope you had the greatest time ever! It's hard to believe that my own senior prom was three years ago, but it was such a fun night, and I hope that your own was just as great, if not even better!

One of my favorite parts of the night was getting ready. I spent hours looking for the perfect dress and when I found it, I shared it with the world. I couldn't wait to wear it to the dance. I can only imagine the anger and frustration you felt when your school announced the week before that there was a dress code you had to adhere to.

But ladies, some of the dresses... they weren't really dresses. This isn't about preaching or shaming, rather maybe reiterating something you know, or telling you something you didn't... You are so, so, so beautiful. Exquisite, even. In sweatpants, a bathing suit, whatever. Just think: you are the only person with your exact hair color, texture, eye color, nose shape, hand size, laugh, corny sense of humor, etc. You are unique, and a gift to the world. Please, share it with the world! Share your wonder, your beauty, your voice. Share it with your words, your actions, and, yes, even through your way of dressing.

You are more than your physical appearance. There's nothing wrong with dressing to complement your physical beauty, in fact, we are called to allow our inner beauty to shine through our bodies. But, beauty does not equal leaving nothing to be hidden.

Life itself is a mystery, and as women, we are called to enhance the mystery.

When you dress, think if what you are wearing is enhancing the unique, unrepeatable beauty that is within you, or if it's drawing away from your inner beauty.

This isn't a modesty post, rather a, "gosh dang, you're so beautiful!" post. This isn't about sin, or self-esteem, but about understanding your worth. And ladies, you are worth so much. 

Each of us is important and beautiful, needed and wanted. In his letter to every women, written in 1995, (now Saint!) Pope John Paul II thanks women (yes, even you!):

Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world's understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic.

Because of you, the world is a better place. More beautiful, gracious, awe-inspiring, authentic.

Thank you for giving the gift of yourself to the world! Your beauty makes the world more beautiful.

Love,

Katie

* it should print out well as an 8x5 :)

* printable as an 8x5 :)