On retreat a few years ago, the retreat director reminded me that when memories come back, they are bringing new lessons; they are not just reminders of past events, but rather they are speaking to me about today, and they have a message that is relevant to me now.
In the process of packing and unpacking, I have found many little treasures, things I had totally forgotten, but which touch me in a new way. In one box of mementos, I found a note card with a picture of a blue bird on the front. On the back, someone had typed a poem called “THE JOURNEY” by Mary Eleanore Rice:
“where are you going i asked
to places i have never been was the answer
what do you plan to do i asked
my purposes will be evident at journey’s end
who has planned your itinerary i asked
its plan will be revealed at times most unlikely
why would you consent to such a vague plan i said
i accepted the challenge when i accepted life was the answer”
I don’t know who sent this—the rest of the card is missing—but it was typed on a manual typewriter, so I know it is old. I got the sense in reading it that the person who sent it knew me very well, probably better than I knew myself. This person looked into my future and saw the significance of this poem for me. What a gift.
Madeline Bialecki 