What The Christian Science Monitor Means to Me June 16, 2014 Issue

A family newspaper

Hilary Waller

I want to share how The Christian Science Monitor has supported me as a Christian Scientist and a mother.

As a stay-at-home mom for the past 20 years, my life has been centered on home and children. Since I rarely watch television, the Monitor has been my window on the world. I have loved encountering new ideas through the Monitor’s in-depth, evenhanded reporting, devoid of sensationalism. Exposure to a diversity of complex topics has helped keep my thinking expansive and engaged with the world. The Monitor was a faithful companion to me when our family lived in Germany and England for my husband’s work. Its global outlook complemented the adventures our family was having, and stories about Europe helped me feel a deeper connection with my temporary home.

As the children grew, Monitor articles provoked stimulating dinner-table discussions that enriched the quality of our family time. What’s more, Monitor writing provided research material for homework assignments and even expanded everyone’s vocabulary. As our family has matured, I’ve appreciated having more time to read the Monitor, and the more I read, the more my interest grows in praying about the world’s problems. The compassionate way in which the Monitor presents troubling issues has helped me see more of the brotherhood of man and therefore feel a broader love for mankind.