When you are about to go on a life-changing voyage, folks often say and do things that ensure you will not forget them. Cases in point?
The daughter of a resident found me in my newly re-done office a few weeks ago, struggling. MAK is the wife of a pastor, and an expert in Recovery. She also is an artisan, lover of poetry, and master gardener. Perhaps you can tell that I think the world of her. She cheered me up quickly, then spoke of making a banner to commemorate both the "new office" space and the pending trip to Madagascar. Soon after, the banner appeared, wrapped and gift-tagged whimsically.(Note photos of the banner, now decorating a display tree in the NRC Chapel.)
On each pennant of the banner, she sewed or glued lovely and unusual things, often accompanying a word of wisdom. These are her words of wisdom for the trip, as well as for life: Don't forget to fly; Live gently upon this earth; It's the little things that make life big; Sprinkle delight stuff (MEMORIES); You can do anything, but not everything; Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity.
Then, at one of our neighborhoods this past Friday morning, we had our twice-a-month hour for "caring conversations," which we call The Ladies of the Round Table.
After the group conversation was over, most of the women got up and left, except for two women. One of them commented on a sudden cold draft (a window facing the courtyard had suddenly blown open), and then she began quoting a poem by Christina Rossetti:
Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling, the wind is passing through. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by.
Another resident, upon hearing the recitation, came quickly toward us and said, with some authority: You can't see the wind, but you can see what the wind does!
These wise women had given me the illustrations for my Sunday sermon, and I told them so. Simple and telling examples for the Sunday sermon, but wisdom for life!