Just Thinking…

 

Yesterday, I found myself staring out the window at work. My office is located in an old school building with a couple of offices setup in classrooms, while there is a counseling office and a tutoring office in other classrooms. The lower level of the building is where the cafeteria was housed and the upper level is where the nuns used to live…small rooms that are now vacant, but you can imagine the teaching nuns living up there.

Looking out of my large windows, there was so much color…a beautiful deep pink group of azalea bushes, freshly mowed green grass, tall yellow irises, and some pots hanging from the various porches nearby. So colorful and so spring-like. It was easy to get lost in the visuals.

Then, a caravan of cars started to arrive and I was reminded that next door is the church that goes with this building and a fairly large group was gathering for a funeral. The deceased was 93 years old and she must have had a ton of kids, because there were all kinds of people in attendance from newborn babies to elderly folks in wheelchairs. Normally, when I see an older person’s funeral, there isn’t much of a crowd as many of their family and friends have gone on before them, but yesterday was different.

I continued to look out the window and watched the group, mostly laughing and hugging…not a lot of crying. When my time comes, I hope it will be a similar scene.

Just last week, in the very same place, a young man was buried after a drug overdose. He was 35 and his Mom worked in the other office in this building. He had overdosed at her home, just across the street from the church. There was very little laughter, very little chatter…but lots of extended hugs and lots of tears. Two totally different scenarios but both sad in their own ways. 

There is a lot of history in this building and the church. We have talked about the “ghosts” and spirits in this building, and although I believe in them, I haven’t really had any experiences…yet. Until yesterday!

As I mentioned, the upstairs used to be a dormitory for the nuns. There is a TV area, a kitchen area, two bathrooms and several small bedrooms. Although there was no walking around but we all know their spirits are there. I believe there are so many good spirits are everywhere, watching over us!

I am feeling more established with my job. I don’t feel like I have to ask questions ten times a day. My boss and I have a great relationship and I’m getting to know the families we work with although we are still not as “open” for visitors as we hope to be. 

I’m not really sure why I’m writing about all of this today, but I feel like for some reason, I’m moving into another stage of my life. Nothing has really changed, but inside, I feel different. I haven’t decided if it is a good thing or not, but it’s different. 

Maybe my meds have kicked in or maybe it’s because my calendar is filling up. Maybe it’s because I’m feeling more settled…or maybe it’s because I will soon mark one year back in Louisville. Whatever the reason is, I’m okay with it.