Do I REALLY need this?
Sifting through my clothes and belongings for the
umpteenth time gets old and frustrating. My attempt to strategically pack
for yet another move is a struggle. I’ve gotten quite good at it and each
relocation involves shedding a fair amount of “stuff”. But I focus a lot
of attention and thought on sorting-out what I like, what I might need, what I
should get rid of, what’s easy to pack, what needs to find a good home and what
will be saved and stored. There’s a seeming dissonance between the vow of
poverty and this process of meticulously inventorying and prioritizing lots of
belongings.
And then I ponder the prioress’ recent letter about
itinerancy—the Dominican call to itinerancy and the different ways that we are
each sent. The forced itinerancy of our sisters in Iraq, for
example. Those ready to “journey to a new place of encounter” in great
and difficult ways. Small nudges like these help me maintain perspective
about what’s needed and what’s important as I prepare for my new ministry.
And my packing seems a little less daunting.
Quincy Howard, OP
Washington D.C.
Comments
Post a Comment