#notsorrynotsorry

So Pantene came out with a new commercial this summer that at first made me fist pump in the air like a fool with a resounding, "YES!" Women apologizing for simply existing is something that I've been noticing as a trend for the last year or so. And it breaks my heart.

When I joined a women's small group with SPO, my small group leader (shout out to Leanna) gave us one rule within our meetings that we could not apologize. I caught myself time and time again, apologizing for one menial thing or the next: for arriving too early or too late, for wanting to speak up or not being sure just exactly what it was that I wanted to say. Again and again, the women with who's lives I was sharing mine gave me an encouraging smile and a sweet reminder to not say, "I'm sorry."

Here's the Pantene commercial for you to watch before we go into the next part of this blog post:

What's That On Your Head? Or Wearing a Chapel Veil.

A few months ago, I felt a call to begin to veil myself during the Mass. It was after I had completed my Consecration to Mary, which is a whole other blog post to write on another day. I get asked regularly why it is that I veil myself. I believe it is an important thing to have literature for women to look to about this calling and understand it more fully.

First, what is a veil? For those of you who don't know, a veil (or mantilla as some refer to it), is a veil worn on the head of a woman during Mass or when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (read: Adoration). This practice is seen as being no longer obligatory due to the changes made in Vatican II in 1959, but contrary to this popular belief, there was nothing saying that it was no longer an obligation. Does this mean that all women that don't wear it have fallen out with the Catholic Church? Nope. But just know that the Church does still encourage and support this practice.

Jackie Kennedy looking beautiful in her mantilla

I Am, It Is

Living in Texas, every evening is a reason to celebrate because the sun setting in the sky is one of the most magnificent things you will ever see. There are songs written about it, “if you haven’t seen a hill country sunset, you ain’t met me Texas yet,” (thanks JAB). There are Instagram hastags devoted to it—#nofilter #texasforever. And yet, when we see these scenes, what do we automatically think?

“That looks like a painting!”

“It looks like it’s in HD!”

Wait, hold up, what? Real life looks like what?