Archives

Noise Reduction

By Charla Spalluto Misse Last winter, I visited my sister in New York City.  Because I expected long wait times for plane boarding and during travel, I brought prayer cards and my rosary to spend my free time in reflection.  I also had a few chances to walk the big city streets alone; each time […]

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Upbeat

By Charla Spalluto Misse I try to start my day by saying “Thank you, God.  This is going to be a great day.”  No matter the challenges before me, I try to start singing.  I greet my family with “Good mornin’… Good mornin’” or “Zip-a-dee-do-dah.” I look out the window and, despite the weather, I […]

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Difference Makes a Difference

By Charla Spalluto Misse As parents, we are responsible for monitoring our children’s growth and providing for their development. We regularly benchmark their scholastic, emotional and physical progress usually with input from their teachers, coaches and other caregivers. Typically, there are broad ranges of acceptable performance by age, providing children some “room to grow.”

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Carry On

By Charla Spalluto Misse The NolaCatholicParenting writers all have such uplifting and positive outlooks.  In writing and in person, they are so amazing to me: role models for keeping their faith foremost. It is easy to see that they “let go and let God.” I marvel at their relentless pursuit of God’s design and their […]

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Be a Catholic

By Charla Spalluto Misse (and St. Maximilian Kolbe) This quote is attributed to St. Maximillian Kolbe, “Be a Catholic: When you kneel before an altar, do it in such a way that others may be able to recognize that you know before whom you kneel.”

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Happy Birthday

By Charla Spalluto Misse Around my birthday each year, I start a mental assessment of my life. I think back to where I was last year and progress through the year in my mind.

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Holy Souls

By Charla Spalluto Misse It was not until this year that I realized how immensely holy souls need our help. At 7 years old and having lost loved ones this year, my son was more cognizant of All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) than ever before.

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Natural Ability

By Charla Spalluto Misse My second-grader was given the assignment of writing a science report on an animal or plant living in a pond habitat.  After going through an extensive list of possibilities, more time consuming than the report itself, my son chose to report on the minnow.

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Delivering Christ to Others

By Charla Spalluto Misse My father brought me to Jesus. He brought me to weekly Mass and ensured I received the sacrament of first holy Communion. He served as Eucharistic Minister when I was a teen and modeled deep respect and appreciation for the body and blood of Christ throughout his life.

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Sleepless Nights

By Charla Spalluto Misse As a parent, you know very well what it is to be awakened by your child.  Whether you wake because your child is hungry, sick or scared or because your child is going through some trial for which you earnestly pray for resolution, sleepless hours in the night are common for […]

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Tradition Not Yet Lost

By Charla Spalluto Misse My husband was confirmed Catholic as an adult, just after our first child was born.  I am exceedingly grateful that we share the same faith and have many opportunities to grow and praise together. He attended RCIA at St. Patrick’s on Camp Street where he thoroughly studied the catechism.

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