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| The monastery cemetery. |
What is the most difficult goodbye you have ever experienced? Last spring, a friend who had cancer was moving into a facility to receive the hospice care she needed. I tried to imagine what it was like for her to say goodbye to her home of 50 years. So, I began imaging myself looking around the rooms and out the windows of my own childhood home, as if I was walking through the rooms one last time. The memories of childhood were returning; both challenging and life giving, these memories became a prayer of gratitude for a life lived within those walls. I returned to reflect upon her final goodbye, that of passing through the threshold of her front door, locking it behind her, knowing that she would never return. The thought was almost too much for me to ponder.
Considering that we learn through our experiences or those of another, I embraced this life lesson as it taught me to live fully each day as if were my last day. Remembering that one day I too will experience a final goodbye of what I know, to enter the mystery of what God has waiting for me. Remembering that each day is a gift, I thank God for my life and for my Benedictine vocation.
If you would like more information about Saint Benedict’s Monastery, please contact Sister Lisa Rose at lrose@csbsju.edu.
Lisa Rose, OSB
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