Inspired by Scholastica

 Many religious communities own extensive acres of land for beauty, conservation, and perhaps gardening. As communities age and have fewer members, they are undoubtedly concerned about future uses of their land. If they sell it to have more financial resources for their members, it is likely to be used for commercial purposes and encroach upon their buildings.  Some women's communities are choosing to put part of their land in the hands of a land conservancy agency. The agency agrees to preserve the land when the sisters can no longer care for it themselves. This allows the religious community to ensure that their land will continue to provide beauty and be cared for in perpetuity even if the sisters have to close their doors.  This is a striking example of choosing conservation over economic gain. They evidently feel that it is more important to keep the land intact than to sell it for real estate. This is taking into consideration future generations who will have oases ...

  Self-love is often misunderstood. It sounds like we don’t care about other people. It sounds selfish and self-centered. Yet it’s the most important step we can take toward health and happiness. Health care professionals talk a lot about self-care. They tell us to be aware of our needs and take care of them. Otherwise, we will not be able to care for others in a healthy way. My uneducated mother used to tell me not to be a door mat for others, to stand up for myself. She had the right idea. Sometimes it’s hard to love ourselves when we make mistakes or look at our weaknesses. Everything looks bleak, and we see others as so much better, so much more loveable. Negative self-talk can be very debilitating.We need to look at our mistakes as opportunities to learn from, our weaknesses as steps to build on. Many of the world’s great leaders tell how they acquired self-knowledge from their mistakes. Sometimes we need help from friends or counselors to see ourselves as worthwhile and v...

 Whenever I am tempted to get on my pity pot, I go to visit the sisters in our nursing facility. They are mostly in their 80s and 90s and have various disabilities due to aging and illness. There's Sister Jeremiah who is confined to a wheelchair after having a stroke. She has a brilliant mind but can no longer navigate on her own. Then there's Sister Rose who is also confined to a wheelchair after a botched surgery. In addition, she now has cancer on her nose. There's Sister Vera who had a stroke and is now in and out of reality. Then there is Sister Adele who is confused most of the time. She was a college professor and poet before drifting into senility.  Sister M arlene has Parkinson's disease and her hands tremble most of the time. Sister Nancy has rheumatoid arthritis in her hands and feet and has fallen several times. Sister Bertha is confined to a wheelchair due to weakness in her legs. Sister Imelda has dementia and is always wants to visit her parents. Sister G...