A day of grief and happy memories October 10, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It was just an ordinary day. I was rushing around getting people ready for school, trying to make sure we didn’t miss the bus, explaining the schedule for the day, while keeping half an eye on my phone in case the workday was starting early. Then, all of a sudden, as my younger son was […]
Birthday buddies October 4, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Six years ago, when my sister was expecting her twin boys, I was rooting for them to come on my husband’s birthday. I thought it would be fun for them to share that day together.
That Time We Met Brooks Robinson September 26, 2023By Rita Buettner Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Our fifth grader went first, stepping up to meet Brooks Robinson who smiled and commented that our boy wasn’t in school.
Celebrating 19 years of marriage September 26, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Life is full of jumping spiders—and other things that are much more stressful and problematic. Nineteen years into marriage, I’m grateful that I don’t have to experience them alone.
How can I help? September 26, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church The best part was discovering that serving others can be more fun than spending the afternoon doing what you thought you wanted to do.
A taste of a child’s birthday joy September 20, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window As I sat in the waiting room, I thought I might have a few minutes to myself. Then the door burst open, and a mother and her two little girls came hurrying into the room. Fairly quickly, the older girl caught my eye and recognized me as an appreciative audience. She picked up her 3-year-old […]
Remembering a Jesuit priest and family friend, Father David Allen September 17, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Earlier this week, I learned that one of our family friends, Rev. David Allen, S.J., passed away.
What Mother Teresa teaches us about love September 4, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window If we don’t feed ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally, we will be depleted—and unable to be what we want to be—what we are called to be—for others.
A trip to the State Fair, the start of school, texting fun, and more (7 Quick Takes) September 4, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Summer isn’t complete without a trip to the Maryland State Fair. I always enjoy that one final burst of summer fun, spending money and consuming treats with reckless abandon.
A lesson in trust (and a prayer for a new driver) August 30, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Letting your child drive your car is exciting and terrifying. And I found myself thinking about how often God asks us to place our trust not just in him, but in others.
Goodbye summer, hello school, anniversaries, and other fun (7 Quick Takes) August 27, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window ~1~ I don’t ever want summer to end. It’s gone by much too quickly. I also need summer vacation to end so we can return to more of a routine. My emotions are always mixed this time of year. Summer is my favorite season, and I want our children to have more time to rest […]
The day my nephew moved into my alma mater August 23, 2023By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window When my nephew was looking at colleges last year, he decided to apply to my alma mater, Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For some reason, I didn’t think it was likely he would go. But F&M offered him a spot in the Class of 2027—and he said yes! As the weeks of summer […]
