maijapinion

With the exception of Harry Potter and a few other series; His Dark Material, The Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire... (I'm realizing as I'm typing this that I must have a thing for the fantasy world 🦄🤷), I am NOT what one would consider a reader. In fact, I'm sure someone can quote me as saying that I hate it. This year has been rough, to say the least. I was talking to my sister, Marika, sometime in the late summer. Her and I are so different, so typically when we offer advice to one another, it's not exactly what either of us are looking for. But this time was different. Anytime the boys were asleep for the night, I was alone. And when I was alone, I felt sad, desperate, and obviously lonely. I needed some sort of comfort, something else in my life to focus on besides worrying about my boys, besides dwelling on my divorce. This time when Marika suggested a couple books to read, books that had really helped someone she knew, through a tough time. The s

I will be celebrating Hanukkah AND Christmas ( and so will my kids ). I was raised Catholic. Baptized, confirmed, and married in the Catholic Church. I even attended a Catholic high school where for two year I was the teacher's aid to the priest that was assigned to our school. His name is Father Steve. He had an impact on my life in ways that I can't quite explain. He refused to call Religion class "religion" and instead opted for the term "Theology" class. He said that religion isn't something you can learn, religion is a part of who you are. He was keen on the subject of philosophy, which, to this day, 20 years or so later, has resonated with me. Philosophy became a huge interest of mine. And how he referenced religion as something that can't be taught... this stuck with me. In college, I chose elective classes like philosophy and world religions. I was fascinated by the concept of religion. I was a practicing Catholic for a long time. I even