By Sarah Callahan
Gray Spaces Graces
I was sitting in my local coffee shop. Over the low hum of music in my headphones, I hear a customer leaving the café. She says to one of the baristas, “take care!” as she exits. The barista smiles and returns the sentiment.
This small and seemingly insignificant moment gives me pause. The simple farewell makes me ask myself: what would it mean for me to really “take care” — of myself and others? Pope Francis, throughout his papacy, consistently refers to God’s style of closeness, compassion and tenderness. When we are doing a good job of “taking care,” we are exemplifying the closeness, compassion and tenderness of God.
I recently hosted a retreat on the theme of “Holy Moments,” which grew out of a Catholic Messenger article that I had written last year. During this retreat, we took time to slow down and be intentional about noticing the holiness all around us. We talked about the sacredness of the everyday, and how we can notice God in each moment — not just those that are extraordinary. We took care to listen to the sharing of others throughout the day, we took care to create space for stillness and we took care to be conscientious of the Holy Spirit imbued in each moment.
I think it’s easy to do these things when we’ve set aside a day for reflection, but these practices of taking care need not be confined to retreats or special days. We can take care to be present, compassionate and tender in our everyday routines. I shared a poem with the retreatants, “Do not ask your children to strive,” by William Martin and it has been at the forefront of my mind as of late. In the poem, the author suggests that parents should not expect their children to strive for the extraordinary but, rather, should teach them to find the joy in the ordinary. One excerpt goes, “Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears. Show them how to cry when pets and people die. Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand. And make the ordinary come alive for them.”
I think this poem exemplifies the spirituality of taking care. In our lives, we get caught up with the next big thing — the promotion, the party, the vacation. We can forget about the peace that comes with enjoying each moment. We can bring care to the way in which we unload the dishwasher, care to our lunch breaks and care to the conversations we have at the grocery store. I find that we often or maybe I should say “I often” practice self-care by distracting myself rather than truly granting myself rest and rejuvenation. It may be easier to sit in front of the TV or scroll on my phone to unwind but often journaling, meditating, cleaning my space or taking a walk is actually more relaxing to me. These activities ground me in the present moment and help me to notice the holiness of normal life. In this Lenten season, I want to practice truly taking care in all that I do for myself and for others — this may include more trips to the coffee shop!
(Sarah Callahan is social media coordinator for the Diocese of Davenport.)
