Love and loss are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be. -V.E. Schwab
What She Said, October 14: V.E. Schwab
Diane Masiello
I am a writer and high school English teacher at a Catholic, all-girls private school. I began my teaching and writing career over 30 years ago, earning my Ph.D. in English Education from and first teaching at New York University. After I finished my degree work, my husband and I moved to Florida; I have taught at both Nova Southeastern University and The University of Tampa.
I left academia to raise two beautiful daughters and help care for my parents, which is when I turned to blogging to help me process my experiences. I started in 2003 with a LiveJournal entitled "Afternoons with Coffee Spoons" which I eventually translated over to Wordpress. In 2019 I was invited to join "The Gloria Sirens" blog, which gave me space to develop my voice.
Over the past few years, as I have raised teenagers and gone back to teaching, my writing has become more focused on the interplay of the Catholic faith, mystery, and storytelling. This has, in 2025, led me to return to writing exclusively for my own blog where I can more fully explore "Every Grace and Blessing" that God has bestowed upon me and those I love.
Three Things I’ve Realized During the Covid-19 Pandemic
In short, we need to take care of each other . . . . Sometimes it feels as if, when we can’t do the things we normally do for ourselves or others, we shouldn’t do anything at all. But these days, a text or a phone call can go a really long way. So don’t wait.
What She Said, October 13: Elizabeth Blackwell
None of us know what we are capable of until we are tested. -Elizabeth Blackwell
What She Said, October 12: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
In a sick society, women who have difficulty fitting in are not ill but demonstrating a healthy and positive response. -Charlotte Perkins Gilman
What She Said, October 11: Maxine Hong Kingston
In a time of destruction, create something. A poem. A parade. A community. A school. A vow. A moral principle. One peaceful moment. -Maxine Hong Kingston
What She Said, October 10: Pema Chodron
Things falling apart is a kind of testing but also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together and they fall apart. The healing comes from letting there be room for all this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. -Pema Chodron
What She Said, October 9: St. Therese of Lisieux
Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love. -St. Therese of Lisieux
What She Said, October 8: Anne Lamott
The opposite of faith is not doubt. It’s certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns -Anne Lamott
What She Said, October 7: Madeline L’Engle
Creative scientists and saints expect revelation and do not fear it. Neither do children. But as we grow up and we are hurt, we learned not to trust. -Madeline L’Engle
What She Said, October 6: Ada Lovelace
Your best and wisest refuge from all your troubles is in your science. -Ada Lovelace
The Gloria Sirens 