Holy Housewifery ~ Chapter 1

I just began reading a book called Holy Housewifery by Ethel Marbach.  It was written in the 60s and definitely has a 60s flavor to it, but I find it refreshing and very applicable to my life!  I thought it would be a good idea to post some highlights I find in the chapters so I can pass on the wisdom of a 60s "holy housewife."

Chapter 1 ~ Folk Dancing is for Other People

• Many of the other wives we know may have good ideas about how to encourage holiness in their family members, but their ideas may not work the same in your household.  The key is to adapt ideas, not necessarily adopt ideas.  Face it, we are all different and we should not compare the holy habits of others to our own.  Our Lord wants us to be holy in a specific and personal way.  
• "Family rituals, traditions, all must be suited to the personalities [you] live with."
• Individual sanctity within the family: "How can we possibly know for certain that our idea about the proposed perfection of any one individual is the same as God's idea?...They belong to Him; they are only lent to us."
• "How often our hopes are that our children be reflections of ourselves, rather than the unique being that they are.  It is our job to help them become saints, but more, help them to do it in their own way."
• Even though Baby St.Hilaire is not born yet, I have begun developing hopes that he has a calling to the priesthood.  After reading this chapter, I realize more that I should not impose a vocation on him; rather, I should help him be open to whatever Our Lord may be calling him to.  It is so neat to think that God already has a special plan for our son.