from the editor

Being a mother means finding a new level of strength you didn’t have before. There’s something about how a mother bears down and grits her teeth through the pains and the tribulations that only a mother can do. I’ve endured a lot of hard and painful things in my life, and motherhood has been no exception. Since becoming a mother, I’ve been in many situations where I think to myself, “I can’t do it. It’s too hard. I’m not strong enough.” Yet somehow when my children need me, I become more than myself. I find the extra strength needed to overcome the insurmountable, to endure the impossible. I suddenly become more than I ever was before.

MY MOM IS A FORCE OF NATURE. For as long as I can remember, my mom has always been fearless, bold, and most importantly, kind. My mom served in the US Navy for 27 years as a naval officer. She had a distinguished career in the military and even now at 21 years old (she’ll always be 21 in my eyes) she still works full time, jet-setting across the globe for her job. I grew up watching my mom board submarines, take charge of events full of foreign dignitaries, and create magic in the most unassuming places.

My mom gave me many gifts, her poor eyesight, her need for early orthodontia, but she also gave me her laugh, her ability to make magic in the mundane, and her strength.

One Christmas we were in Italy, and she took my sister and me to see the “Presepe” or Italian nativity scenes. Before leading us down a crammed street full of vendors she knelt and whispered, “do you want to see real live magic?” I never doubted her for a second that what we were about to see was truly miraculous. My mom has a way of seeing the world as if everything shines, even when it seems dull or gray to everyone else. When we turned down that street, we were suddenly surrounded by hundreds of tiny nativity scenes. Some with twinkling lights, some with miniature streams trickling through Bethlehem, all unique and beautiful in their telling of the birth of Jesus Christ. She was right, it was real live magic.

As a mother myself I frequently find myself looking for advice from other mothers. Constantly looking for mothers who came before me to help guide me. Besides my own mother, I frequently turn to Mary, Mother of God. When I feel overwhelmed or scared or unsure, praying the words of the Hail Mary remind me of Mary and her Fiat, her faith, her devotion to her son, Jesus Christ. I find a renewed strength and encouragement to keep pushing forward when I pray for her intercession and reflect on her strength.

I pray during this beautiful month of Marian devotion you find time to pray a daily Hail Mary, place flowers at the feet of Our Lady, call your mother and tell her you love her. Tell her thank you and thank God for the mothers in our lives.