Twelve Stripes Deep

Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in

—  Saint Catherine of Siena

"My worst day ever didn’t bring me my only heartbreak–not even the only heartbreak that wiped the floor with me–just the only one that made me question the existence of God. Before every girl dreams of her bouncing baby girl or boy, she dreams of her knight in shining armor. Not unlike my path to purpose, my guy did not come in the way I originally expected, and thank God for that! If things had worked out the way I had planned, I never would’ve met the man who draws me expensive bubble baths when I’m at my worst (don’t worry, I’ll explain later). 

My first experiences of deep emotional pain came as the result of a few breakups. God used each failed romantic relationship to teach me about love and friendship with Him. My parents gave me a solid Catholic foundation,

In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.

— Saint Teresa of Avila

"It was 2015 and hot outside when it should’ve been cool–– welcome to New Orleans. I was still infertile. I worked as a home health Physical Therapist Assistant at the time and stopped home for lunch when I got a phone call that set one of my worst days ever into motion... Up until those early years of marriage, life was going (surprisingly) exactly how I had planned, giving me a great illusion of control. You know how it goes—graduate college, get a big girl job, move out, get married, have ki— and that’s where my plans came to a screeching halt. You can toss that idea of raising a basketball team out the window without the ability to bring even one player into the world. I slowly became aware of a jarring reality where the kids I was so sure I would have might never come into existence..."

"This is not your typical infertility journey. It is a love story painted by three dramatic characters - God, suffering, and the joy that is only produced by willingly accepting both of them. “Willingly accept suffering? Excuse me, what?” you might be wondering. This may initially sound like a tall task, and it is, but it is also a transformative one. And I’m not referring to the suffering you can control. Any kind of pain that can be alleviated absolutely should be. I’m talking about stepping into and getting curious about life’s perplexing grievances that we cannot seem to escape despite great efforts.

Unfortunately, we all get plenty of opportunities to practice..."

**I am so sorry for the audio issues at the beginning of this episode. The issue is fixed with the reading of the Foreword.

It’s one beautiful thing to get lost in words on a page, but it’s an entirely different experience to grab your favorite drink and pull up a chair with the author as she invites you into her world. That’s what I’m offering you here on the TSD podcast - your own personal audio book, read by me with added thoughts and an occasional interview with or about a person or event in the book.

I’ve learned firsthand how healing it can be to share your struggles, and victories, with others because we all want to know we are not alone - and that there’s hope! No matter how your story unfolds. So whether it’s a hot coffee or a glass of wine, I’m right here sippin’ it with you.

From my heart to your ears, this is a story just like yours, Twelve Stripes Deep

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