May is Full of Holidays

The Mom Weekly Volume 91: May 6, 2025

You can read this, or any other previous Mom Weeklies, by going to the home page here.

May is Full of Holidays

May, especially for our family, is full of holidays and celebrations. This year, we not only have Dad’s birthday, our wedding anniversary (32 years!), two graduations, and more. Also, May is replete with some great family-specific feast days, such as St. Joseph the Worker that was on May 1 (I made savoiardi, naturally), and even more birthdays and anniversaries for extended family members of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

May is also Mary’s month, so some extra devotion and a few extra prayers can be a great way to honor her. Consider praying the Rosary with the Hallow app—I typically choose the guide Anna, who has a British accent. I find her style very helpful, and conducive to me to prayer, as I walk the dogs in the morning. I have found it a spiritually fruitful time. You can also use the rosary that came in your Easter basket. (See photo!). Per Dad’s suggestion, I’ve started carrying mine in my pocket.

So how can you celebrate this month better? Well, for one, Dad’s birthday is only a few days away, so if you haven’t sent a card yet, today is your chance! And Mother’s Day is this Sunday, but you know I don’t need any cards or anything, because you kids are my gifts. But you might plan to be extra-available via text or phone call on Sunday, because I do love to hear from you.

Otherwise, maybe try to plan for some fun baking or cooking this month, or some extra time in nature. You know that you will be glad that you did!

Remember how much I love you,

Mom

Interesting/Notable

Papal conclave: about the rules related to it–The Pillar

Dad & I were talking about how news outlets are reporting about who got how many votes during prior conclaves, when it’s meant to be strictly secret.

A Fifth of American Adults Can’t Read. Here’s How to Teach Them.

This article is a must-read. And remember working through this book together? Teaching each of you to read was so challenging, but so rewarding!

“The whole experience knocked me off my ideological pedestal. The most effective way to help my students, I realized, was to radically diverge from the progressive path I’d traveled my entire life. I am now as close to a traditional schoolmaster as I ever could have imagined: I drill. I test. I say things like, “No, that’s wrong. Try again.” There is a correct answer, and I want it.

It turns out the students want that, too.”

An Action Item: Reach out to three friends, preferably one in person

As usual, I am adding this as an action item for myself as much as anyone else.

While it’s great to “see” people on social media, or in other ways, there’s nothing like connecting with people “in real life.”

Connecting with someone in real life can include texting, phone calls, or seeing someone in person. It can also include one of my favorite ways: writing people actual notes to send via “snail mail.”

I remember hearing on podcast (surprise!) a guest offer this idea: scroll pretty far down your text messages, and see someone that you haven’t texted or talked to in a while. 

Once you do, send them a quick text to say, “Hi! I was thinking of you and I just wanted to say Hi! How are you doing?” 

You may find it sparks a quick conversation, or even leads to a time to grab tea/a meal or go for a walk together. 

I just did this right now, and I can’t tell you how much it boosted my mood to do so!

Here were my three:

—I texted a friend from our parish that I had asked a wedding-related question to, and never responded to her (back in January!)

—I texted (again) a woman I met at JASNA last year, appreciating her hosting the JASNA podcast (this episode in particular )

— (in a group message) I texted three friends that I used to sing with, sending them a story from the local news about an opera singer who sings for patients in a nearby city.

In the next few days, I am also going to try to connect with a college friend and try to chat with her while I’m walking in the next few days. That will be more “in real life,” and maybe later I can try for some “in person” time.

Please give this action item a try! I promise you will be happy that you did.