Tuesday, March 13, 2025

Marie, with long straight blond hair and blue eyes looks tired with wrinkles that are ingrained in her skin like dried out river beds in a desert. But her light, her intensity, changes when she talks. “Do you know I still live in the same house in New Rochelle that I was born in. I have had neighbors come and go but I am still there. The high school looks the same but it definitely has changed.” She tells me more about her community and then switches her focus and a warmth comes over her.

“I remember the place that made me feel most comfort, was the church across the street. I still remember at age thirteen going to the church alone and feeling such a sense of peace, away from all of the outside noise. There was such a sense of stillness there. Now He, (she gestures to the sky) is always with me.”

Through our conversation, Marie makes several gestures with her hands to show a kind of path to the Lord being up and down and the physical life being a horizontal plane.

There is a real sincerity and innocence to Marie. She seems proud to be a part of a community and such a good neighbor. And there is a conviction on- Who carried her on this bless filled journey.

Marie teaches me about strength, through her unwavering faith in Truth and God regardless of the circumstances.
The Path is not always clear, but when we stop and Be in the stillness we feel a comforting Presence.  That Presence we often lose touch with when immersed in our fears and desires.

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