In these more recent days I have found myself remembering a couple of lines from a Thomas Merton prayer:  “Lord I have no idea where I am going.  I do not see the road ahead of me.”  It seems at times like my own days are sometimes a blur, defined by sadness and loss of dear friends since the beginning of this 2020 year.  Most people will no doubt remember this as the year of the awful pandemic across our world.  I will remember it as the year that changed my little corner of the world.  Losing my roommate in January, my sister-in-law in March, and my dearest friend in August leaves one feeling vulnerable to say the least! 

However, as a Providence woman, whose charism calls for trust and openness to God, I have tried to be open to the Maker of Moments who continues to invite me into wonder, to see beauty, to be aware of little signs of love and care amid the on-goings of a day.   The duty of the moment is what I call the pause to be still, to see and savor, experience and enjoy what is right before me instead of putting my soul on auto-pilot. 

The duty of the moment is opening the mail and receiving such beautiful sympathy cards with messages from friends near and far—letting you know you are not alone.  The duty of the moment is to actually choose how to remember and celebrate lives well lived. 

The duty of the moment is when I come home from work and there is Katie, the sweet little cat I inherited, waiting to greet me at the door and just wanting to be petted.  There is that blend of happiness and simplicity staring you in the face, like you are all that matters.  The duty of the moment is to give her attention, play with the peacock feathers she loves to chase and watch her jump in and out of a simple box to her hearts’ content.  Sometimes it’s the simplest of things that become the most precious of moments.

The duty of the moment is to open your heart to another day and all it has to offer.  To trust that Providence is leading and guiding down that road ahead of me.   I have nothing to fear.  The duty of the moment is to realize that all is gift; that hope lives inside even the smallest gifts, whether it be a card, a note, a plant, yellow roses, or a sweet little kitty who loves to play! 

Barbara McMullen, CDP