Live Big, Love Bigger is a book which represents the best of what contemporary Catholic spirituality has to offer. Author Kathryn Whitaker writes as if she is talking to you over the fence post of her home. Her life lessons arise from the difficulties of our day: from dealing with the medical and emotional fallout of a baby's premature birth to keeping her kids safe from porn. Her sense of adventure adds a Texas-size measure of fun to the book. As a result, she can draw spiritual truths from everything from barbecue joints to hospital NICUs.
I think what is most touching about Live Big, Love Bigger is the way that Whitaker explores the importance of being thankful for all things, including suffering. She quotes comedian Stephen Colbert, who talks about the fact that you have to learn to love "the bomb"--in other words, you need to appreciate the failures and calamities in life, like a comedian learns to love the times when he or she "bombs" on stage.
Whitaker also offers wise words about how to use technology as a modern mom, without being consumed by it: "The balance of an active digital presence to proclaim the gospel of Christ while making a concerted effort to be disconnected enough to be present to the people in our lives is one I struggle with every day. But I get up and try again every morning."
I admit--I raced through Live Big, Love Bigger. I wish I had been able to take my time, to better savor every page. It is a feast for the spirit, and it will cause you to look at your spiritual life--and life in general--in a whole new way.
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