A weekend visit to the fast-food eatery leads to fretting over the circumstances of a seemingly homeless person By George Valadie I love weekends, especially when our Friday night games have gone well and all the students have made it home safely. After these many years, with our girls now …
Praying for Perspective: Remembering the handing-out of report cards
By George Valadie You could tell we had just sent them out because the office phones were ringing incessantly. They always do on “report card” day. Technology has vastly changed how all that happens these days. Our teachers enter grades into a computer program, and magic does the rest. Parents …
Praying for Perspective: The Christmas story and common ground
The times may be different, but relating to Mary and Joseph is easier than you would think By George Valadie Season’s greetings! A year or so ago, when The East Tennessee Catholic and I began talking about writing this column, I had but one idea to offer and it was …
Praying for Perspective: Celebrating Notre Dame High School’s storied presence
By George Valadie Happy birthday, ol’ girl! We salute you. We salute your age, your impact, you unending and uplifting spirit. After all, who even gets to be 140 years old these days? Few institutions, traditions or inventions (think 8-tracks) — have that sort of life. Moreover, who or what leaves …
Praying for Perspective: Life’s like a bowl of cherries — pits and all
Coming to terms with what we want and what we really need as children of God By George Valadie I suppose this train of thought left the station while I was at a recent meeting of school principals. Our superintendent, a Sister of Mercy, had invited the 10 of us to …
Praying for perspective: Do you say the Our Father or really pray it?
By George Valadie It was a Sunday morning not all that long ago, though I can’t recall which one. I remember it because of the Gospel that day, you know the one where Our Lord taught his apostles how to pray using the words that we now know as the Lord’s …
Praying for perspective: Does anybody really know what time it is?
As we clock our live, the years run too short and the day too fast By George Valadie If you ever find yourself worrying about the sanity of your family, or, more specifically, the people in it, then read on and have hope. Every single word of this is true. …
Praying for perspective: Coming to terms with Lent and a tattletale conscience
By George Valadie It happened to me just last week. I’d love to say it was the first time ever, but I’d be lying. I messed up and ate meat — on a Friday. I swear it was just an accident, perhaps the sort that has happened to you at …
Praying for perspective: Searching for that inner piece making us more Scrooge-like
By George Valadie Consider just for a minute — when did you first notice it had happened to you? I’m not sure it hit me at any one particular moment. It was more like a collection of moments. Each a sad one, now that I think about it. First, there …
Praying for Perspective: Coming to terms
Writing too soon about the loss of a best friend By George Valadie I got the call on the 18th. Pat’s younger brother was on the other end of the line. “Hey George, just wanted to let you know that Pat’s in the hospital. He wasn’t feeling that well and …
Praying for perspective: Kindred spirits among life’s graduates
By George Valadie For those who begin this autumn with school-age children, you have automatic membership in a club of kindred spirit. Public or private, Christian or non-denominational, kindergarten or high school – it’s all the same; you join the club of moms and dads who hate the dastardly teacher …
Praying for perspective: Living our vocations
Whether priests, women religious, or mom and dad By George Valadie Well, I have to say it’s been quite the summer already, and the baby hasn’t even gotten here yet. Yes, in a week or so, our middle daughter, Meg, will experience the miracle of birth yet again when she …
