Jeannie Gaffigan: Faith, motherhood

As a Catholic, my faith teaches that I should do everything I can to defend and respect the dignity of every human person. The right to life of the unborn, our treatment of migrants and refugees, the promotion of racial justice, the abolition of the death penalty, promoting peace, and opposing euthanasia are fundamental and necessary Catholic teachings.

We must uphold the sanctity of human life. That’s the thread that runs through all these life issues. This has been echoed by at least the last three popes, as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

My number one job right now is as a mother. The pandemic has brought the importance of this job to the absolute forefront of my life. I am quarantined with my five children, ages 7 to 16. I think of the old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” Now I feel like I am the entire village!

In the past, especially after my book was published, people would say to me, “Wow, FIVE kids! Are you crazy? How do you do it? You must be a SUPERMOM!” The truth is, I had a lot of help. My kids went to school all day. This meant someone else fed them lunch and cleaned up after them. I had a housekeeper to constantly help me with organizing, vacuuming, wiping, and laundry. The kids had friends, playdates, sports, plays, and other extracurricular activities where all I had to do was sign a permission slip or go to an occasional conference or parents’ night. On top of that, I’d say “do your homework!” occasionally.