Happy Easter—and happy spring!
Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve typed anything on the blog. I was really digging in during Lent to prepare for Easter. During Lent, I like to fast from something that pulls me away, but I also like to add a positive habit that brings me back.
This year, I fasted from social media (unless I was looking for something on Marketplace). But I also took on a pretty big positive change:
Daily Mass at least once a week.
I am really growing to love daily Mass. I can be quiet, focused, and honest, sitting in the sanctuary by myself. I still love Sunday Mass! I love seeing all the families—our friends, families with little bitty kids, and all the familiar faces.
But sometimes, I’m not as present as I should be on Sundays. My kids are asking me something, I’m distracted by adorable babies and sweet older couples, and if I’m being honest, my mind drifts to getting ready for the upcoming week.
Making time for daily Mass has been like going for coffee with your best friend—just the two of you. I can sit there in the quiet and really focus on what He is saying to me. I can ask Him for guidance and truly listen. I love when we gather as big families, but that one-on-one time is my favorite.
The other big focus I took on was my health.
In 2019, our family made a big move from the South to the Midwest. Ever since we moved here, I’ve felt like I was in survival mode. I focused on getting everyone else settled and happy—and I let myself go.
I’d go through spurts where I tried to eat healthy or exercise, but I “couldn’t” keep up with it because someone else needed me. I know moms everywhere understand that.
But I finally said, enough is enough.
I couldn’t keep up with my kids. I was tired all the time. And I refused to buy the next size up—again. I’ve let myself go for seven years.
Oh—and I’m post-menopausal at a very early age, so the strategies that used to work just weren’t anymore.
I had been working out and had kind of cleaned up my diet since December, but I was just losing and gaining the same two pounds over and over.
So, since Lent started, I’ve been working with a nutritionist. We’ve been tweaking my macros, and she has me on a workout regimen.
And I feel so much better.
My clothes fit better. I feel happier. I feel stronger.
We’re still working through some of my health concerns with my doctors (hormones, skincare, bloodwork—nothing urgent), but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m moving forward instead of just trying to keep up.Lent asked me to give something up—but more importantly, it invited me to make space.
Space for quiet.
Space for healing.
Space to listen.
And what I’m realizing this Easter is that taking care of myself isn’t separate from my faith—it’s part of it. Showing up stronger, calmer, and more present for my family starts with showing up where God is calling me first.
I’m still a work in progress. But for the first time in a long time, I feel grounded, hopeful, and ready for what’s ahead.
