To start the month off right, I’m sharing this adorable video of an 8-month-old boy laughing hysterically while his at-home daddy rips up a job rejection letter. If this doesn’t cure what ails ye this late winter, I’m not sure anything will.

You can read my latest column at Inside Catholic today:

Giving Gifts, Counting Costs

Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.

— C. S. Lewis

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

— C. S. Lewis

This relaxed dog, this green grass, that delicious world of color, that cheerful clothesline in the background?

I think we might have dreamed them all.

So I forgot to send you over to the Washington Post this week …

But my article is still there — the internet is cool like that. Please come and share your comments on the idea of freedom. And if you’re really in a feisty mood, you can join the haterz in the combox.

I was up early this morning, but somehow managed to get distracted by work and work and a little more work. I wound up so very badly distracted that I was late getting around to some of my other morning tasks.

Like breakfast for the man.

“Wait!” I wound up shouting to him as he headed out the door for work, “Your toast hasn’t popped up yet!”

He couldn’t wait. But he sure could follow up with an email once he got to work. The subject line was “Virtual Breakfast.”

Could you please send me a picture of some nice waffles with sausage. Thanks.

How very kind of him to allow me this simple way to redeem myself.

On a Valentine from Raphael’s 6-year-old cousin:

I LIK YOO RAFY.

I love that kid.