Author Archives: kmwanek

A few days ago, I was reading an article about the physical effects of gratitude.  Among some of the many benefits of the practice of gratitude are lower levels of stress, lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and an increase in sleep quality.  At first, it seemed kind of crazy to me that something asContinue reading “Hearts Full of Gratitude”

The summer before my sophomore year of college, I started experiencing a health issue.  Without going into too much detail, I will just say that it involved a lot of blood and a bit of discomfort.  After just a few doctor visits and different tests taken and not yet having a diagnosis, I continued googlingContinue reading “Surrendering All”

During the homily at mass last Wednesday, the priest said something along the lines of “it is through the cross that we can move forward.”  This profound statement reminded me of a time that God revealed this truth to me.  Right at the beginning of my dad’s funeral mass, as my siblings and I stoodContinue reading “The Only Way Forward”

In the past two weeks, there has been a lot of celebrating in my family.  My sister Abbey had a beautiful wedding mass and a great afternoon and evening to celebrate her marriage.  Then, my sister Sarah had her baby shower, where we celebrated the gift of new life, with her baby expected to arriveContinue reading “Back to Normal Life”

There’s an old country song by singer Johnny Lee called “Lookin’ for Love”.  While the song details the singer’s experience of looking for authentic love in his life, there is a line in the song that I think we could all relate to on a more general level.  The line in the chorus, “I wasContinue reading “The Right Place”

If you spent any time outside this past weekend, you’ve probably noticed that more and more leaves have already begun to change, revealing beautiful new colors that we all look forward to seeing every fall.  The way that the leaves on trees change is the chlorophyll breaks down, making the green fade and allowing theContinue reading “Like the Changing Leaves”

Working a job that is in an office and where most of the work is done at a desk, it is pretty much impossible to reach 10,000 steps during the day just from being at work.  Even with the walks to the breakroom to fill up my water bottle, trips to the restroom, and walkingContinue reading “Making an Effort”

I don’t know what the statistics are on this, but I know that the number of Catholics who have kids or grandkids who have stopped practicing the faith or who have left the church is very high.  And if not kids or grandkids, maybe another family member.  I have heard many people talk about theContinue reading “Restless Hearts”

Sometimes when I’m driving to work, or to any other place I regularly drive to, I end up at my destination only to realize that I’ve arrived but don’t really remember much of the drive.  When you take the same route to go to work every single day, week after week, it’s easy to zoneContinue reading “A Familiar Routine”

I’ve worked at a weekend dining and banquet hall for the last 12 years.  I’ve worked for a lot of weddings and have heard countless speeches given.  But I can probably count on one hand the number of good speeches given.  Whether it’s a bridesmaid, groomsman, or another guest at the wedding, a majority ofContinue reading “Our Reason for Living”