parents

Anyone who has read the lives of the saints may have noticed this common factor: "He/She was the son/daughter of pious parents." Or, sometimes, a pious grandparent or godparent is named and their role in the life of the saint duly noted.

My prayers during my current pregnancy have revolved around this idea of parenthood a lot. I am far from someone that anyone in their right mind would describe as pious. My husband is a great father but even he would own that he is not a great, world altering Christian. I know some parents who have grown children, and I would say those parents are pious. Their children love the Church and God and it is evident that their upbringing had something to do with this.

Pray, reader, that somehow I can at least be a little, teensy, weensy bit pious and manage to have a good influence on my growing number of children. May their godparents, patron saints, guardian angels, the Theotokos, and foremost Christ be their guides and intercede for them. I know my own prayers alone are not enough to raise a gerbil, let alone a house full of babies.

My two-year-old daughter who lights up my life asks me often, "Will you help me walk, Mommy?" just because she wants me to hold her hand and go beside her, not because she needs help walking at her age. When her tiny fingers are grasping mine, I feel inadequate and know I need something more than I have if I'm going to really walk through life with her, and be an important part of who she becomes.