being humbled

being aware of our humbleness is not such a bad thing. yesterday, i took a friend to the convent/retirement home at the college i am fortunate to be teaching at in brentwood, mt.st.mary's college, sisters of st.joseph carondelet. catholic, protestant, jewis, all have met nun's. our purpose yesterday was to take my friend Helen, who was wiped out in Pass Christian, MS by hurricane katrina to talk with some students and say hi to some of the nun's who had been so involved and helpful in the recovery efforts for victims of the disaster. as we were escorted to the convent, which is now a retirement home, combo assisted living to full on medical care facility, it was pointed out that we were meeting a breed of folks who were slowly becoming extinct. as i listened to the nun's share their experiences with helen who had taught for many years in a catholic high school and had an affinity for the sisters, i was struck with the loss we are experiencing. yup, there are mixed reviews by many about their experiences in
parochial schools with the stern nun's, cut yesterday i could feel the caring and feelings most had had for their students and for the lives of those kids. it was humbling to be in their presence even for myself, a non catholic.

humility ain't a bad thing, i try so hard to get that across to my group members, the narcissistic anger management/domestic violence perpetrators, humility takes strength. the sisters had learned to be humble in the shadow of their god, to listen and not shout. if we could all learn to be a little humble at times it would help so much... humble, not humiliated.

Helen Keller:
"I long to accomplish a great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to
accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is
moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate
of the tiny pushes of each honest worker."

Rachel Carson:
"It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility."