Dr. Martha Lucas has an interesting story about how she was named. This and much more from her on being a baby in her Catholic Daughters of Catholic Mothers book about life as a Catholic woman in the 60s, 70, and beyond. They named me after Saint Martha, the patron saint of housewives, servants, and cooks. Catholics turn to her when dealing with chronic stress and doubt. Martha was a worker, keeping everybody fed and … Read more
Being a single working mom attending college is hard enough. Find out what happened to Dr. Martha when she was also ready to date. Twenty somethings date. So I did. In my mind, I can’t apologize or punish myself enough for not being at home with my children every minute that I wasn’t at work or in school. Did you say Catholic guilt? Oh, I’m an expert at that. I was guilty then and I’m … Read more
Dr. Martha talks about shaming women about their appearance, a thing that seems timeless. Did your mother preach modesty or let you choose what you wore? Here’s an excerpt from Catholic Daughters of Catholic Mothers and one of Dr. Martha’s experiences on the topic from when she was growing up. Modesty and shame. Strangely, I think they go together or at least have gone together in my life. My mother’s focus on modesty created a … Read more
Dr. Martha learned the importance of taking time for self from her experiences as a child. She knows what it’s like to spend too much time worrying and what it does to the body mind and spirit. In this excerpt she shares her story and one way you can relieve stress. Martha’s Rat Brain Trauma is a strong, scary word. But honestly, my childhood experience drives my animal brain to think that if one of … Read more
You’ve come a long way, babe. That’s what Dr. Martha shows in the chapter about her divorce in Catholic Daughters of Catholic Mothers. In this excerpt she shows her willingness to challenge the beliefs of the day and set her life on a nontraditional path. My D I V O R C E Naturally, I was taught that marriage is for life. If you got divorced, you weren’t allowed to remarry unless the first marriage … Read more