“To Plant Them”

Eleanor Humphrey  is serving this year at Marian Middle School in St Louis.


We crossed the threshold of the Motherhouse
            after journeys
            through school, across countries
            journeys of patient, difficult, rewarding work

We were ready
             to share meals, to share stories
             to learn from one another
             to break ourselves open
             to become a family
           and we did

---

Hands were held and let go
            tears were shed, smiles cracked
            as we searched to tap the reservoir of humble goodness
            Here

And we found gems
            seeds of gems
            seeds of justice, and of peace

But now we must carry them
            the family we’ve created must part
            must carry these peace and justice gems
            to places that we do not know

We want to plant them there

We want to plant ourselves
            to nurture the gems
            with our gentle beings, our reflective spirits

So we return to our journeys
            to cities, through patience
            journeys of difficult work

We may be unsure of the reward
            Anger is outside.

But we’ve learned that to plant
            to journey, to work, to be of Loretto
            is to challenge, to embrace

To be of Loretto is
            to be

And we are still learning..

-Eleanor Humphrey  8.13.2014