“What’s this?” I said, picking a book up from my friend Tara’s dresser. “Oh — my friend gave it to me and Russ for our engagement. I haven’t read it yet though. It’s about a woman whose mother puts her prayers in a box, and the daughter tells about finding the boxes after she dies.” I…
Tag: God
My Day-by-Day Spiritual Journey
At the parish hostel I stayed at in Tosantos (population: 20) we all went up to the third floor chapel after our shared meal. The hospitalerios (a volunteer who runs the hostel) led us in a prayer service that included readings, blessings, songs, and prayer in French, German, English, Spanish, and Italian (representative of the…
Unloading My Fears, Lightening My Pack
“Don’t let your fears load your pack,” Rick said to me on our third day on the Camino. He’d read this advice on a Camino Forum, but admitted he didn’t follow it close enough. As we walked along, he decided to heed this advice and let go of his bedbug spray. Years ago the hostels…
A Day of Freebies
“You don’t happen to have any more change, do you?” I asked the guy filling his parking meter behind mine. I had decided to lighten my load of change into a tip jar at a local coffee shop earlier, which didn’t bode well for my current situation: parking at a meter in DC to meet…
A Stop Along the Way
As we fiddled with the buckle across the toes on a pair of sandals, I said to the saleswoman “Well, once we get it right, I hope I never have to change them again.” “If you do, you could just come back,” she responded. “Well, I’m actually moving to North Carolina,” I said. “Oh really? …
To Rest, To Enjoy
“Hey – why not just enjoy your apartment for a while?” God said. Hmph. Imagine that, I thought. Over the last few months, I have taken time nearly every day to work on paring down my “stuff” in preparation for my year of travels. I’ve cleaned out files and closets and kitchen cabinets getting rid…
Letting Go
We are a society that likes to hold on to things: the clothes that no longer fit, the kitchen gadget never used, the man we just know isn’t right for us. “I should just let it go,” I said to my mother the other day. Except I wasn’t talking about clothes or gadgets or men. …
A Retreat
Today I’m off to the Rhode Island coast for a weekend retreat with my favorite sisters. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to have a “favorite” order of religious women, but oh well. God understands. I know this because he tells me. Doesn’t that make me sound like one of those little kids in the…
Thank You
I was thinking I should attend a Memorial Day ceremony or parade today. And, as usual, God gave me what I asked for. Instead of taking my usual right turn toward the library on my morning walk, I went left towards the firehouse. From the open second-floor windows, I could hear the local bagpipers practicing. …
RenaissanceRebecca 