Wednesday, June 27, 2012

About A Boy

I suppose it is natural to be thinking about fatherhood right now. After all Father's Day has just passed us by.

But I have been thinking about a story, one I have played with on this blog and have told you all a little bit of. It is the story of my son Tommy. It's really my story, but it began with him. After all for the last five years I have struggled to finally grow up and become the man I need to be to handle the awesome responsibility God has given me.

I guess a lot of my struggle continues to be how open to I let myself be to potentially millions, ok thousands, fine tens of strangers reading my blog. Truth is the story hurts. Sometimes a lot...sometimes just a little.

Here's the thing though, because of Tommy I am a better man than I was. Because of Tommy I am slowly becoming a better more faithful Catholic. Because of Tommy I am finally learning to truly Let Go and Let God.

It is hard, very hard, everything in my nature says I need to make it better. Then in the still small silence when I force myself to listen and accept everything I know about God I realize that isn't my job.

A fellow blogger actually told me a while back that I should tell Tommy's story and I said to her and myself yes I should but then I ran away from it again. The thing is part of me says Tommy is such a rare case who wants to read about a condition they won't likely ever see. But so many of his symptoms/issues are common to so many other things that I suspect many people could likely be helped or help us in ways I haven't even imagined.

So I guess I need to throw my heart open and let the world look at it in full. Who knows maybe I will help someone along the way, or maybe someone will help me.

Basically ever since Tommy's birth my one operating goal in life is to some day get to a point where I am a good enough father, husband and man that my kids will be proud of the fact that I am their dad.

It seems like I have come so far in five years, but I sure feel a long way off way too often still.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Is It Finally Time?

Well is it, finally, decidedly, time for Catholics in America to realize that the Democrats, are actively trying to destroy the Church?

Feel like that opening sentence is too harsh? I don't, just examine the evidence.

The Obama administration has practically had a bulls-eye on the Church from day one. They wanted desperately to get FOCA to the floor of the House and Senate, a bill that would have done what the HHS mandate is currently set to do. Force Catholic hospitals and health care to pay for, perform abortions and provide contraception. I'm not sure Obama has ever seriously considered actually living up to his oath of office. You know that whole part about protecting and defending the Constitution....Haven't seen a lick of that.

The thing is I get why a lot of people of my grandparent's generation found it comforting to be Catholic and Democrat. The two seemed like the right balance for (I hate the phrase, but it is what we all call it) Social Justice. After all President Roosevelt had just "saved" the country from the Great Depression while looking out for the little guy, right. Wrong actually, but it no doubt felt good to think it at the time.

Then we had JFK and my mom's generation had a reason to be happy being Catholic and Democrat. After all he was the hip, suave, young president whose untimely death was used by LBJ to pass another massive round of social reform.

But then it all started to change, the Supreme Court went wonky in 1973, granting women the right to slaughter a generation of Americans as they saw fit. Democrats started frothing at the mouth to protect those "rights" and the poor and the downtrodden became just another voting bloc to be coddled in an election year, and "women's health" suddenly became the be-all end-all issue.

And now we have a president who for some reason overwhelmingly won the Catholic vote four years ago and has done nothing but attack the Church ever since. Making it all the worse is that the head of HHS is a "Catholic." (My blog my rules, you openly thumb your nose at the Vatican you get the quotes).


The bottom line is that Obama has essentially pushed the Church into a corner in an effort to make it look like the enemy. He and his administration have grossly abused the first clause of the first amendment. The goal is to find some sort of solution that seemingly allows both to save face, yet ultimately turn religious freedom into something the president can control.

Sickening.

Here's hoping the current iteration of the Supreme Court realizes ObamaCare is an illegal power grab by the administration and overturns it in toto. Then the ridiculous mandate will be a moot point.

Further here's hoping Catholics and really everyone in the country stands up for our founding principles. Come on people, if we lose the first amendment we lose them all.