I Am Not the Sum of my Achievements

What’s your name? Have you ever stopped to consider how something as simple as your name can carry so much significance? We don’t choose it, we don’t assign it a meaning, but we do recognize the weight it can carry. My full name is Erick Omar Marquez. The name Erick has Norse roots and it’s…

If you aren’t yourself, then who are you

Have you ever experienced someone making fun of the way you simply are? Maybe it’s the way you dress, talk, smile, laugh, or maybe you’ve been made fun of for the things you enjoy doing?  Being disrespected can form hurtful wounds that may cause you to want to hide; not only from those who have…

How to Reclaim Our Identity and Beauty

“In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me.”  St. Augustine If you are anything like me, I love chick flicks and Disney movies! For so many years my expectations of love and men came from what I learned from, The Wedding Planner or my all-time favorite How to lose a guy…

Reality Check

Have you ever walked out of a movie theater feeling like you don’t know where you are anymore? It’s pretty confusing! You’re suddenly thrown back into the real world with no way to process all the images and emotions you just experienced. Usually that makes me want to just go home and take a nap…

Abortion: Is It a Man’s Issue or a Woman’s Issue?

The landmark case of Roe v. Wade—which granted women the legal right to terminate a pregnancy—was decided with the intention to “free” women. Today, however, this is far from the truth. Paradoxically, the opposite is true. Men are freed from their actions and responsibility, and in turn women are enslaved. Abortion removes responsibility from the…

Masculine Femininity?

I have always been a self-proclaimed tom-boy. I played soccer on the playground with the boys every day of elementary recess, gym class has always been my favorite, and I’ve never been one for dressing up. I’m not going to lie – there were many times as a young girl that I wished I could…

More Than a Feeling: Love in Action

I had the privilege of grabbing dinner with a fantastic priest recently. The list of things we talked about varied, but one thing he said in passing really stuck out to me. At one point in our conversation he says, “everyone loves talking about God’s love, but when that Love takes on flesh and makes…

Thank You, Next… But How?

The moment has arrived; it’s time to break up. Regardless of how long you’ve been dating someone, ending a relationship can be difficult. Saying, “Adios!” to your current boo can be a source of distress and cause a variety of escape options to develop.  Maybe you’re planning to break up over text to avoid the…