Resolutions in JulyJuly 15, 2025

Resolutions in July

If you are anything like me, you have more good intentions than New Year’s resolutions…. all of which tend to fall to the wayside. I have long admired the simplicity of the Amish and have saved a greeting card with one of their sayings: Order Calms. It reminds me of one of my favorite Shaker quotations: a place for everything and everything in its place. Both of these sayings were kept in mind when I moved to Merici Crossings in February of 2019. I did have a place for everything that I brought to my new suite. I have been fairly good at keeping things “in their places.” But after six years, I find that I am far from Calm because of the lack of order that I observe in the space I use as an office.

For one thing, I never planned on having an office, but I ended up on many committees with projects that required the continuing use of a computer. My ministry files had been gleaned so that I only brought with me the materials that I believed I would be using. They fit nicely in metal stacking crate containers. I stored them in our storage cages. But when I needed the resources, they entered what was once our dining area. The committee work over a period of years produced more files, so I was able to get a two drawer file cabinet. But now, I am no longer on these committees and am sharing anything significant with our archives, so there are multiple files that are about to be gleaned.

I have also been far more involved with my indoor plants. Like my mother, I have had success with African violets and have had the good fortune of “birthing” new plants from strong leaves. They have made nice gifts for family and friends. The other indoor plant that I enjoy is the orchid. We gave my mother a gorgeous lady-slipper pink orchid when she was suffering from cancer and I was hooked! When I worked at Laurel Lake Retirement Community, the Chaplain would frequently bring an orchid to our office area for the enjoyment of our residents. When the orchid was finished blooming, she wanted to discard it. That would never do! So I began to adopt orchids. When I moved to Merici Crossings, I had several orchids of different colors. With care, a perfect location on my bedroom window sill, and their weekly ice cubes feeding, they have bloomed again and again. I like sharing them in Chapel and care for an African violet and a blooming orchid in our Community Room for the Sisters to enjoy

Strange thing, the orchids have imitated the files and have multiplied! My extensive window sills in my bedroom are inadequate for the number of orchids that Sisters have given to me to adopt because they had fears that they would not be successful. The orchids that are blooming are now gracing our living space because their spot on the window sill is occupied.

It is decision time! The plants are going to win over the papers! Slowly but surely, I am eliminating the files that held so many treasured efforts. Slowly but surely, I am focusing on the living: my plants, my Sisters and my friends. The Ursuline Community has shared several videos with the Sisters that are to assist us with successful aging. The video that I watched last week focused on hoarding and clutter and the difference between them. I am guilty of clutter right now and am going to seek continuing inspiration on this journey from the Amish: Order Calms; from the Shakers: A placefor everything and everything in its place; and particularly from the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila as I pray this reflection each day:

Let nothing disturb thee;

Let nothing dismay thee:

All things pass;

Patience attains

All that it strives for.

She who has God

Finds she lacks nothing:

God alone suffices.

Sister Anne Marie Diederich