Sisterhood Series // Caitlin

Welcome to our Sisterhood Series! It's our birthday month, and we are celebrating by introducing you to some of the beautiful women in our community. We can't wait for you to meet them.

Hi Caitlin! Tell us a bit about who you are and where you're from! //

I am Caitlin Russ from St. Paul, Minnesota! I married my high school sweetheart eight years ago, and we have spent the past decade supporting each other through his surgical training and my own occupational therapy studies and then transition to stay at home motherhood. We have three kids and a fourth due in November. Life with this crew is always busy and chaotic, but never boring!

What is your favorite way to pray? //

I would never turn down an hour of quiet prayer in an Adoration chapel, but right now my favorite way to pray is saying "Hail Mary" ...on repeat! Those rote prayers are quick and easy offerings throughout the entire day that allow me to give thanks and remind me I've got someone watching out for me.

Why is community important to you? How has it felt when you have had good community? //

Community lifts us up and keeps us going! We are not meant to live this life alone, so building up a strong community that has your back can truly help through the hard times.. and makes the good times even more enjoyable!

Ironically, this past year I simultaneously experienced both having a good community while also feeling completely isolated from community. During the pandemic, our family moved across the country to Maine for my husband's surgical training. We knew no one and most buildings kept their doors shut due to the pandemic. I felt myself constantly on edge because if something were to happen to one of us, I did not have a single person in the city that I could call for help.

Thankfully, the women I knew from my Blessed is She small group back in Minnesota continued to include and connect with me via Zoom, email, and text throughout my year away. While they were not physically near, their check-ins, coffee gift cards, and constant reassurance of prayer kept me afloat and connected to a greater community.

What about something about what a friend has done in your life that has radically changed your life? //

Honestly, I think it is the smallest acts of kindness that stand out as the greatest acts of friendship. Back in college I returned to my dorm late at night to find a post-it note ... "Wake us anytime!" my friends wrote. It had been a tough week, but their note reassured me that I wasn't going through it alone.

When I think back to that I am reminded that a quick text message sent to a friend or a smile at a stranger might not mean much to one person, but it could be just the encouragement a person needs in that moment.

What is the biggest quality you look for in a close friend? //

Someone who is there for me when I need it without my asking. It is hard to ask for help! I love to think I can do it all on my own, but I absolutely cannot ... no one can. A friend who shows up or checks in even when I'm not the best at responding is such a treasure. Also, laughter. I can't imagine a friendship without laughter.

What kind of friend do you hope to be? //

I hope to be someone who shows up, listens, and supports the other person. I hope my friends know that they can call on me even if it has been a while since we last saw each other.

Tell us about a time a friend led you closer to Jesus. //

I had a friend in college invite me to join her at a weekly Adoration hour. I was new to Adoration and uncomfortable starting something that I knew little about, but those weekly visits with the reassurance from a friend brought me both physically and spiritually closer to Jesus.

That small invitation truly transformed my relationship with God.

Now we want to hear about YOU! Answer one or any of the questions in the comments below.

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