I was raised catholic (intentional lower case “c”). So this is clearly not a “conversion”, but I don’t know that I can classify it as a reversion either, to revert would mean, at least to me, that I had turned my back on something I KNEW. I totally turned my back on the Catholic faith, but I turned my back due to ignorance. Once I was old enough to truly choose, I was unarmed. My mom, a single mother, did her best. But as far as faith formation, my generation has suffered. My husband suffered much the same. We knew nothing of what the Church teaches. Let alone WHY.

I am an only child of a single parent. Hubs is an only child of married parents.

Both of us were public school educated. (Well, hubs got a year or 2 of middle school at a Catholic school..in the 1980’s) Clearly no catechism training for us in a public school.

There’s always RE. Yeah, well, I dropped out of religious education (aka CCD) in the third grade. While I wasn’t really old enough to make decisions like that at 9, I kinda got my way a lot more than I should have.

I think my mother let me because she was in a place that was tepid at best. And this being one more thing on her already over-full card, she agreed.

Do I blame her? No, I don’t think I do. You see, I was a HUGE troublemaker.

Huge. I’m not sure I’m ready to share ALL THAT. Yet. But let’s just say.. whew. I am worn out FOR my mom. Still. Nearly 30 years later.

My grandparents, who helped my mom raise me, were devout, in my memory anyway. I don’t remember them going to confession or weekday Mass, and I don’t recall ever witnessing them pray. But they FELT pious to me. So, my memories are faded, and soft.

I will tell you that my maternal grandparents really laid a great foundation for me to build upon.. but I had to clear away the debris of the secular living I’d covered it with in the 25 years I was lost.

I would never change the path I’ve been on.. even those insanely dark and scary parts where I would have given anything for my life to NOT have been an afterschool special. I really lived my youth much like those cautionary tales they used to make us watch. (If you aren’t old enough to know about afterschool specials, I’m sorry, you’ll just never get it).

Thanks for taking the time to read this, with practice, I should eventually even get better at making my point!
God Bless your day & pray for me, as I will pray for you!