About You:
Living Faith: Describe your vocation in life.
Kate Wicker: I’m a wife, mother, writer and, I hope, an encourager.
LF: Do you reach out to readers online via a website or social media?
KW: I haven’t been doing much on social media these days, but I do have a website— KateWicker.com—and a public Instagram account—@KateWicker.
LF: Share a little about your ministry or daily work. (A day in the life looks like…?)
KW: I’m a mom of five children, ages 19, 16, 14, 12 and 6. I aim to write every week (I’m currently working on my first novel), but being the mom of so many teens tends to consume a big chunk of my days. I’m also an avid runner and am training for my fourth marathon.
I’m a recovering perfectionist passionate about encouraging people—especially women and mothers—to make peace with “good enough.”
LF: How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
KW: I snagged my first byline in the second grade when I wrote a story about a periodontal Tarzan who climbed into kids’ mouths and swung from their molars, clinging to floss, saving kids from the ills of cavities. My teacher loved it (said teacher was not married to a dentist to the best of my knowledge) and entered it in a contest. It somehow won even though I used the word “neurotic” completely out of context, and it was published in a children’s literary journal. I was hooked. I decided then and there I would be a writer.
I have my degree in journalism and spent over a decade freelance writing everything from bridal guides to health columns. I previously worked on the editorial staff of a regional parenting publication. Fiction is my first love, so I’m presently working on my first novel.
LF: What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
KW: Just finding uninterrupted blocks of time to write. I tend to get lost in words once I start writing, but it’s the starting that can be tricky in our busy household.
LF: How many books have you written, and which is your favorite? If you haven’t written a book, name a favorite that you’ve enjoyed.
KW: Getting Past Perfect: Finding Joy & Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood—definitely my favorite book I’ve written. I wrote it quickly in one summer, and it required very little editing. I chalk that up to the Holy Spirit (and my father-in-law and a great babysitter helping out with my kids). This book was carved from my imperfect mothering heart, and my hope is that it encourages parents to cut themselves some slack and be open to grace.
I also wrote Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body. I struggled with a clinical eating disorder as a young woman and frequently write about body image. Although admittedly, I unknowingly wrote this book when I thought I was fully recovered but was actually still falling prey to diet culture and thinking the number on the scale was a barometer of my self-worth.
LF: Where do you live today, and is that different from where you grew up?
KW:I live in Athens, Georgia. I was born in Illinois, but I’ve mostly been a Georgia Peach since I was around around 8 years old (spent one year living just outside of Greenville, one summer in Italy and another summer in L.A.).
LF: Three words your best friend would use to describe you.
KW: Loyal, sensitive, goofy.
LF: One additional thing you would want a Living Faith reader to know about you that we haven’t covered above. (A hobby, something silly or fun, an accomplishment, or an interesting fact?)
KW: I can’t do a cartwheel, but I did win a co-ed arm wrestling contest in the 8th grade.
About Faith:
LF: When did you first know that God loved you?
KW: I can’t pinpoint the exact moment, and truthfully, I have fallen in and out of relationship with God and have had my share of spiritual doubts. There are two moments that do stick out to me when I felt I wasn’t alone, and God was a someone rather than a something. One was when I was praying in Adoration, unsure if I should marry my amazing fiancé (now husband of 20-plus years) because he wasn’t Catholic. It always sounds so cheesy, but I heard a gentle voice that was not my own say, “Just love him.” I took “him” to mean both my husband and God, and I took the plunge and can honestly say my marriage is one of my greatest blessings and also just a fun adventure. The second time was when I gave birth to my fifth child. Actually, the births of each of my children were all profound spiritual moments. But my fifth baby was a big surprise. All of my other kids were older, and I felt scared, tired and a little resentful that I’d be “starting all over” in the parenting trenches. Yet, as soon as I held my sweet baby, I knew he was a reminder of not only God’s love but also that His plans are so much better than my own.
LF: Describe a prayer practice that is meaningful to you.
KW: I liked to slowly meditate on Psalm 46:10. I break it up like this and take deep breaths in between each line, slowly saying each line. An old spiritual director taught me this practice.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am…
Be still and know…
Be still…
Be…
LF: What’s something you’ve learned from the Bible or from the Mass or the Sacraments that has always stayed with you?
KW: During a homily, a priest once talked about how we would respond at the evening of life when asked, “How did you get here?” (Here being eternal life.) Father said rather than focusing on what we did or didn’t do, all we really have to say is “God never gave up on me. That’s why I’m here.” This was so beautiful and reassuring to me. God believes in all of us even when we don’t believe in him, and he won’t ever stop pursuing us.
LF: What excites you about being a Catholic?
KW: The comforting rhythm of the liturgical year and of Mass. As someone who struggles with anxiety, it offers me so much peace to know what to expect during Mass and the Church year.
About the Bible:
LF: What’s your favorite Bible story, psalm, proverb or parable and why?
KW: Psalm 46:10 (see above) and also Peter 1:4-8. I’ve struggled with wanting external validation my whole life, but at the end of the day, I hope to be remembered for loving others deeply, if not very imperfectly.
LF: If you could spend a day with a person mentioned in the Bible (besides Jesus), whom would you choose?
KW: Mary, Our Blessed Mother. I know this is probably a popular answer, but I’ve always been drawn to Mary—even before I became a mother. As a child, my rosary was like a lovey, and I often fell asleep praying and clutching the beads in my hands.
About Living Faith:
LF: How long have you been writing for Living Faith?
KW: Two years, I think.
LF: Do you ever get to meet your Living Faith readers? What do you talk about?
KW: Does my mom count? 😉 Seriously, she always messages me when she reads one of my reflections. She’s my number one fan. I also had a couple once approach me after Mass and ask if I was the same Kate Wicker who wrote for Living Faith. I told them I was, and then we talked about a feisty neighborhood cat we called “Edward Scissorhands” because he’d be purring one minute and going in for blood with his claws the next.
LF: What is one thing you love about Living Faith?
KW: How different people from myriad walks of life see Scripture in unique ways and then share their Spirit-led stories with others.
*The interview was edited for clarity and conformity to style. No meaning was altered in the process.
