I’ve never been alone. On the first day of college, I met my soon-to-be husband.. So I went straight from living at home, to being with him 24/7, to being a mom, to being divorced, but still being a mom, and a daughter, with her parents living with her. I’ve been tried by fire, lol, and covid really tested me spiritually (couldn’t take my mental health walks anymore haha!), which is when I started waking up before the sun, waking up before the house, which also birthed a podcast, which became my book, Wake Up to Love (HarperOne, 2024).
My days look different depending on the season I’m in- but spiritually dry or fruitful, I’m momm’ing, I’m praying, meditating, writing, recording, churching and daughtering. I’ll share what my days have looked like in the past week.
6:00 AM- Rise and pray- I’m usually praying before my eyes open because if I’m not, I’m worrying! That’s the trick. If you start with praise, and prayers, you don’t let the doubt and fear creep in and take over.
6:45 AM- Out the door with the kiddos. Between eyes open and 6:45, I’ve packed lunches, made sure Max’s homework is in his bag, and maybe, just maybe, I’ve had a glass of water. My goal is to have water upon waking, but I often forget. I pray the full Rosary in the car after I drop them off.
7:30 AM- Depending on the day I try to find the sun to record for IG/FB reels. I have to wait until a message comes through, and it can be hard, especially now that I’ve been called to return to daily church! I finish praying the Rosary before I walk in- I like to pray alone, even though they’re inside praying together.
8:30 AM- Mass! I receive Christ in the Eucharist. Talk to my favorite people, and sit in the gorgeous courtyard for a while. My favorite time of the day!
9:30 AM- Try to find the sun to tarry… to wait for a message to share with you on IG/FB reels. If nothing comes, I go home and begin writing, reading, and/or recording for the podcast. I have until about 12:30. During this time I have a smoothie, usually an espresso or a matcha- I SPILLED MY MATCHA ON THIS VERY COMPUTER TODAY LOL.
If you don’t hear from me soon, you know why haha! Spilled it on my computer and on my very beige carpet. I wasn’t supposed to be on it yet, I was supposed to be praying haha, so I took it as a gentle redirection. Turned it upside and hoped for the best! But I digress! Oh, I also feed Pete (the friendly, neighborhood crow that has been stopping by my back patio since 2022) if he drops by and he usually does on schedule, every day, around 10 AM! Mom and dad are usually in the kitchen around this time. We usually catch up, but if I talk too long, the whole day is gone!
(Rosary)
12:30 PM- Gotta pick up Max-Man from school. The time FLIES. As soon as I get in a groove, I’m back on the road to get in the car line. I arrive early and usually with my computer so I can keep working.
(Rosary)
2:30 PM– Pick up Gia and then on to Max’s math tutoring because as I’ve told you, I can’t do his math haha!
(Rosary)
3:30 PM- 4:30 PM- Max is in tutoring and G and I are either in the car or posted up at a nearby Greek restaurant snacking on falafel and fries. At some point during the 3pm hour I try to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It only takes 7 minutes.
(Rosary)
5:00 PM– HOME!!!! Homework. Dinner. Sometimes Mom cooks; other times we order in, but wayyyy less so lately with the state of the food. I usually have Gia make a pizza lol, or they’ll have leftover spaghetti. We make it as they do in Italy to the best of our ability (with this sauce, and Rumo noodles and fresh parmesan- sliced, not powdered)! That’s the only thing I like to cook and everything else I eat is raw vegan!
(Rosary)
7:00 PM- 9:00 PM- I’m recording for the podcast downstairs, while the kiddos are upstairs but quiet on the floor doing homework or talking to their friends on devices. I edit and schedule and then also get any posts ready for the website, too. At some point I also have recorded a reel or two, edited and posted and I’m responding to each message and every DM. By hand. I don’t have software that does that! Every ‘I Love You’ was me!
Now, I try to be in bed by 10pm. But it’s usually more like 11. I sometimes have a formal prayer session at night. Always a hot shower, in the dark, candlelit. Sometimes a bath. But the whole day and night unfolds in prayer. The whole day is prayer with stuff that happens, too lol.
Lately, I’ll turn Netflix on and have something mindless watch me sleep. Cause I definitely don’t be watching it! I’m sleep before the intro is over! Sometimes I have my little night light with my fave book, but I’m out like a light (*singing* like a light, like a light, slept through the flight haha) before I’m two sentences in!
Some days Mom helps with pickup duties for Max! Some days Dad helps. All days Gia helps. She’s my lil’ right hand! Mom’s my best friend.
I Love you!
p.s. Some days I cry. Overwhelm. Lots to do, and I’m just me. But it all gets done! It’s funny, Nikki will have a little breakdown but within 15 minutes I become aware of her working, smiling, reading, living. Keep going. That’s the moral of the story. Don’t think about it. Just keep going!
