Busted Halo

I’ve been writing for Busted Halo for four years and today marks my 100th post. In the post I wrote about some of my favs over the years. Do you have a favorite?

It kind of feels like when Kindergarteners celebrate 100 days in school. I’m sure everyone thinks, “Ah how cute but man do you have a lot more school ahead of you.” That’s how I feel about BH. Great, 100 posts but there is still so many ideas floating around my head. Better get back to work.

Thanks to my supportive family and friends that always read my stuff no matter how incoherent it can be 🙂

In a slam poetry reading that went viral, Lily Meyers tells an all too familiar story about girls who learn to base their self-worth on men and calories. Girls are taught to shrink, she says. I agree…kind of. I think there is value in the lessons her mother taught her.

Today over at Busted Halo you will find me talking about which part of liberation theology has stuck with me throughout the years. Please no one alert Gustavo Gutierrez. I’d be so embarrassed if he knew I was taking his life’s passion and work and whittling it down to my desire to eat better and not yell at my kids.

Every Thursday I post over at Busted Halo — a ministry of the Paulist Fathers — on a blog called La Lupe (I know, I know, pretty similar titles).

Our oldest daughter, Olivia, was born in 2009. I had decided to leave my job (after my first year of teaching) and stay at home with her. I knew a couple other mothers but most of our friends were unmarried and if they were married, didn’t have kids. We had no family in town. Brandon was working in Campus Ministry and was always really busy. I was alone and isolated. I had this really strong desire to be a stay-at-home mom but it was slowly driving me insane. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t know that there were playgroups out there to find, or online forums, or mommy friends to be made, or even books that could help. It was just me and Olivia in our little condo day in and day out. I didn’t know to take her out to libraries or parks or on walks. That was never my experience as a child. I was always just thrown together with my cousins in a backyard and I had a great childhood.

Brandon could tell I was reaching a tipping point. He could tell I was not headed toward any place good. So he suggested writing. Sure, why not. And that’s when V’s Voice (previous title of my little blog here) was born. I immediately loved it. It gave me a sense of myself again that I had begun to lose. It gave me something to work on outside of home.

Shortly after I started writing, Brandon went to a Paulist Convention (while I tagged along and hung around NYC with a good friend). It was here that he chatted with Busted Halo’s then editor-in-chief – Bill McGarvey. Bill mentioned that they were looking for someone Hispanic who knows their theology and can be relatable to the young adult crowd. Brandon had me send over some of the things I had written and La Lupe over at Busted Halo was born.

I am really happy to be over there still. Like I said, if I’m not being a total slacker, they post my stuff on Thursdays. As I am taking a few extra weeks off after the new year, I’ll link to this post that I wrote a while back: The Devil is Watching You