The great migration of Sisters back into Ottilia Hall is now complete. I was one of the last scheduled to go. When I finally made my move yesterday after nearly two years in Joseph Hall, I felt as if I were stepping onto Plymouth Rock after a long voyage at sea, or as if I were Christopher Columbus finally dropping anchor in a Caribbean bay. We have been on this voyage for what has felt like a very long time, and we have eagerly anticipated stepping back onto the shores of Ottilia.
Last night, having unpacked and settled in, I leaned deeply into my rocker and looked out the eastward-facing window into the darkening sky. It was good to be back and be at rest in the room assigned to me by our Prioress. But even though I feel as if I have dropped anchor and set foot on shore, this room is really more Mayflower than Plymouth Rock, more Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria than a Caribbean bay. This is a room, a chair, a space in which I will set sail in a continual journey with God and with this monastic community, keeping my sails hoisted and my compass set, voyaging ever-deeper into the heart of our Lord.