Have Yourself a Hangover-Free Christmas

Advent is a hangover. Hear me out now. “There are only two philosophies of life: one is first the feast, then the headache; the other is first the fast and then the feast.” Alright, so that was not me, technically. … Continue reading

Whistler’s Mother

On this great feast day, when we remember the good and solicitous Virgin of Guadalupe, I am reminded of another, no less familiar, image. The reader may well identify the black-clad lady portrayed above as the mother of James Abbot … Continue reading

Youth, Beauty, and Promise

A few years ago, my father “was a young man, strong, virile, athletic, handsome, chaste, and disciplined; the kind of man one sees sometimes shepherding sheep, or piloting a plane, or working at a carpenter’s bench.” Even today, he is … Continue reading