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The Petri Dish Convent
It’s been a week since we opened the new convent. “New” merely refers to the fact that it’s new as a convent, but in actually it’s an old house with the normal and not-so-normal problems associated with old houses. Take the pipes for example. All corroded. Had to be replaced which delayed our ability to move in. Monday and Tuesday night we ended up with stuff in the truck and ourselves at a local hotel courtesy of the realtor. Moved in on Wednesday. Started cleaning on Thursday only to discover that the base of the lower kitchen cabinets was like a science experiment gone wrong with mold creeping up from the edges. Needless to say, it’s a mess and our move in experience is less than desirable. Still, it’s fixable and we love the house and neighborhood. As soon as the rehabbers get through replacing the offending cabinets, the convent will be in good shape.
As we work with the rehabbers, I am reminded of our IHM Sisters who in the 1930s oversaw the building of our 380,000 square foot building. I wonder how they did it all. We just have a small old house in need of rehab, but they had to start from scratch, put their vision into concrete — literally, and know enough about building, construction, electrical, plumbing, finances, environment, health care, residential living, etc. to build a home for our sisters and create a physical symbol of our IHM life. In just the last few days, I’ve learned a lot about this stuff, and I’ve also learned a bit about the guys working here like their family and why they like/dislike this kind of work, and for the young guys who cut our lawn, what their hopes and dreams are for their own futures.
True, our priority is fixing this place and getting rid the petri dish that is our kitchen, we also are about being present to people no matter where or how we meet them, even if we are the ones who are in need at the time. This is something I have taken always seen in my sisters, especially my nun Joyce who has such a beautiful way of working with people. She doesn’t see “a maintenance person” or “a secretary”, she sees a person full of dignity and light who is using her or his gifts, earning a living, supporting a family, ministering to others. Though shy by nature, I think always of Joyce when I encounter workers of any kind — and I remember to cherish them as she does and as Jesus shows us time and again in the Gospels.
How have you cherished a worker lately?
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The maintenance guy for my building’s great. One morning he was next door fixing something, remarked about my fresh pot of coffee, so I refilled his mug. A few weeks later, they had to shut off water to the building because of a leak, so I didn’t get my morning coffee. I was kidding him about this, and ten minutes later, there he is with a cup from Tully’s.
“She doesn’t see “a maintenance person” or “a secretary”, she sees a person full of dignity and light who is using her or his gifts, earning a living, supporting a family, ministering to others.”
Wow. What a gift and blessing she is!
I just finished a four month volunteer position of teaching arts and crafts to developmentally disabled seniors. When I was in high school, I had to drop off my oldest sister who was an adult ed/special ed teacher at the local state hospital. All those different looking people used to scare me–people with Down’s Syndrome, micorcephalism, hydrocephalism, people with cerebral palsy, brain damaged from tumors, severely austistic, and on and on. I would swelter in the hot sun with the windows rolled up while waiting for her to get off work, because the guys who would put their hand in the car to touch the steering wheel or shake my hand would scare me! Flash forward 35 years, and here I am teaching these same kinds of people! I learned that some peole with Down’s are very meticulous when gluing or working with rubber stamps. Some of them may look like “nobody’s home,” but ask one to smile and you get a thousand watt grin in return! “I did it all by myself!” was a victory cry. I learned that these people are not what the world considers “normal,” but they were certainly excellent teachers for me.
(Sorry you had such a hard time moving in, and I am glad that the pipes and moldy cabinet problems are being addressed before it threatens your health!)
This past week my house was painted for free by a Christian organization called Nashville Workcamp. The before and after pictures say it all. It wouldn’t have happened without God. Not only did they do something charitable, but they were so friendly to me and my family. It was so easy to see Christ in them.
I used to live in Chicago–which neighborhood are you in now?
I try to always see the worker as a person first . It is easy to put myself in that person’s shoes because I worked as a cashier/clerk/secretary for twenty years. I can tell you from personal experience that a little kindness goes a long way. We live in a very rushed stressed society at times where displaced anger abounds. That kindness can really make a difference in a workers difficult day. God Bless Sister Joyce and all of us as we strive to remember kindness to others. The pharmacy tech where I get my prescriptions is a gem-she wears a Mother Teresa cameo-and she is wonderfully patient. She told me everyone has something to offer. She is right but I guess sometimes we forget to listen.
I think it helps to think of everyone as people whether they are “a worker” or “someone important”. It’s something that I struggled with when first moved to the city where the element of class is much more present than the rurual area from where I came and everyone were the “workers”. Well, that and in the city it seems people become tools (bus driver, cab driver, construction worker, clerk) rather than people because you don’t know who they are beyond that. And in a similar fashion, meeeting important people become tools for getting that promotion, favor, or what have you. Thanks for the reminder of people like Joyce…I sometimes forget when I’m wrapped up in myself and where I need to go. God bless you for providing such relevant reflections that help me wake up and think about stuff like this.