Author Archives: faithfullyirreverent

“That guy, Jesus, did something like this.” Indeed. I rolled a new pair of socks gently over the man’s ankles and offered him another clean pair for the road. As I gave his foot one last tender squeeze, I said a quiet prayer for him. It was always how I ended my massages. During myContinue reading “Holy Thursday in the Tenderloin”

36,525. That is the number of sunsets and sunrises that my Grandma Frannie experienced as of her 100th birthday earlier this month. My family is consistently blessed by the presence and longevity of my grandmother. She still lives in her own two-story home where she still adeptly manages her daily decisions and financial affairs. TheContinue reading “100 Years Young”

Pizza night is sacred in our house. Pizza night is our Friday night ritual. We gather together after the week – setting aside preoccupations such as my seemingly never-ending rotation of chore lists and my 5 year-old’s concern that his brother will surreptitiously demolish his newly constructed Duplo bridge. My husband will silence his phone.Continue reading “Pizza Night”

The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist Author Edward E. Baptist is a History Professor at Cornell University. This work explores slave labor in the context of both the national economy and the global markets of the 19th century. On an intellectual level, Baptist debunksContinue reading “Educate & Agitate: Books for Black History Month 2022”

Omicron got anyone else feeling like its May 2020? I say May because March/April were just disorienting but it was novel and there was still the hope that this was all going to be temporary. In March/April you could still joke about Zoom happy hours and there was room for naivete. Our daycare is acrossContinue reading “Diary of a Pandemic Mom”

Allow me to make a confession that has raised an eyebrow of a few of my friends and family. I detest cranberry sauce in sandwiches. Just yesterday, my husband came home from the local deli with the “holiday special” of turkey and cranberry sauce on wheat. I looked at the soggy cranberry-hued bread and winced.Continue reading “Wild Rice – Pecan Patties with Cranberry Sauce”

Here’s what I adore – the spirit of generosity that pervades the holidays. Here’s what I abhor – billionaires making even more bank off the backs of overburdened warehouse employees due to my generosity. Hence, my 2021 guide includes gifts from either local businesses here in San Diego County or ethical businesses with a largerContinue reading “Christmas Gift Guide 2021”

A friend of mine shared the story of her recent trip to the grocery store. She was dutifully checking bananas for brown spots when she became aware that “I’ll be Home for Christmas” was blasting over sound system. “It was so overwhelming. It felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was suddenly ugly-crying in the middleContinue reading “Coping Through the Holidays”

Día de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” is primarily a Mexican tradition of celebrating the Catholic feasts of All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Although the celebration incorporates pre-Columbian indigenous elements, the modern Día de los Muertos is a reverent way to celebrate the Church’s teaching on the communion of saints andContinue reading “Understanding Día de Muertos”

A bright, effervescent 2-year-old was just adopted by her foster family. As I watched the adoption proceedings over a small screen, I was struck by the judge’s questions to the parents. Would they love and care for her as if she were their biological child?  Would they support her through life’s many challenges? Would theyContinue reading “Adoption Day”