Lunch with Cousin Maria

A death in the family can bring people together as it did today in my family. Cousin Rosemary was born in the same year and the same month as I - twenty days earlier than me. She died suddenly, very unexpectedly. It is hard to imagine a world without Rosemary. In our growing up years we visited often and I knew her as fun loving, full of surprises, willing to state her opinion on any topic, beautiful.

I met her sister for lunch today, along with my own sister. We reminisced and we caught up on each others' lives. We talked about Rosemary and our whole family. We promised each other to meet again - soon.

Jesus came with the promise of eternal life. In faith I know Rosemary lives. In faith, I know we will all meet again, and relatively soon. Humanly, however, I miss Rosemary, and I cherish even more, now, the times I meet face to face with the people I love. The being together comforts and bolsters me against the sadness of leave takings. The coming together and the going away... all part of this wondrous life on earth.

Details, details, details. That was my day, today. How satisfying to make a list of those little, but not unimportant, details that need to get done, and then watch as each thing is checked off the list. My day had no other appointments or meetings - rare and wonderful. So, I set about taking care of the "thises and thatses" which can weigh me down if I procrastinate too long.

What are you waiting to take care of? What little detail niggles you at the back of your consciousness? Is it a thank you note waiting to be written? Is it a phone call needing to be made? Is it organizing your email? Is it repairing a hem? Is it saying, "I'm sorry."?

Take some time today to consider what little (or big) details are weighing you down. Develop a list, and then let a little burst of energy enliven you to get them done and check them off, one by one. You'll feel better. I did!

Blessed Beauty

Since the quiet of our retreat, we have been blessed with many days of sun, whose rays have highlighted the sounds of birds chirping, flowers blooming, and even the variation of greens in the foliage. I try to let God's Cathedral support me in my writing; to soak it in so that (hopefully) what comes out on quill and paper also reflects God's ongoing creation.

What Birds Talk About

Birds in the morning
working, talking cheerily
of life in the trees.

Light Prayer

Praying through or with the energies all around me, the light that enfolds me and every thing, is wondrous. Words from the past take on new meanings: Jesus Christ, the light of the world; the kingdom of God is within; don't hide the light under a bushel basket - put it out on a lampstand; God is my light and my salvation; let your light shine for all the world to see; Who touched me? I felt the energy go out of me... The burning bush... the column of fire by night...

I feel a wind of transformation blowing through me, blowing through the universe. We are waking up to new possibilities, new responsibilities. It is the light that leads me. It is a good morning.

Retreat Time, Slow Time...

Lying on the grass
sun soaking into my bones
dragonfly skims past...

Retreat Begins

We Benedictine nuns here at St. Placid Priory began our annual retreat yesterday, Friday, June 5. This year we are spending all eight days in silence. Yes, SILENCE. Except for chanting the Liturgy of the Hours and responding at Mass, we are not speaking. The days go by much more slowly than usual. If you want to slow the pace of your life, keep silence for a while.

I wanted to focus on a particular task today, but a bird called out to me, and I had to go outside instead of completing what I had been doing at my desk. The robins were all upset... so I followed their cries of distress and caught a glimpse of an owl silently passing through our woods. It was a breath-taking sight. As if that were not enough, I was led up to the top of our parking lot (by the beckoning of the little birds) and there on the edge of the pavement was a merlin. Beautiful blue/gray, banded tail feathers, quite self-possessed. Wow. No sooner did I try to raise my field glasses than it was away.

Owls and hawks are symbols of transformation. And this is only the beginning of the retreat...

Cool Rain

Patter on the roof...
days of frantic sun give way,
now, to quiet rain