Day 7

This is my last day in Chartres. The sky was filled with clouds until it rained half way through the day. Then the sun emerged from the clouds and dried the water. The weather matched my mood. The morning was clouded by sadness as I thought of leaving tomorrow. I have been here 7 days and have been into the cathedrale maybe 3-4 times a day. That adds up to 21-28 times. Every time I entered, I said at least one short prayer and many times I sat for over an hour. The cathedrale has become a home away from home. A safe place to think, prayer, hope and dream. A unique place to confront the past and heal, to appreciate the present and let the future come as it will.

As the rain fell this afternoon, I laid down for a nap. I read somewhere years ago, that when you are submersed in another language, you need more sleep because the brain is always on as it continues to decipher even when you have turned off the background noise. I felt that tiredness and the nap was refreshing. As the sun came out, so did I. I felt lighter and ready to enjoy my last evening. This sentiment appeared to be felt by many. People were everywhere; enjoying the outside.

Dinner was at La Passacaille. The pizza was divine. You ask- aren't you in france? Mai, oui. I am guilty of craving Italian. Food has not been mentioned in my earlier essays, but I can only say I am in heaven. Chocolate three times a day is my idea of a diet! And the list goes on. I have savored every meal.

What is the sum of my lessons here? What can I take with me to share with others and myself? Why did GOD ask me to meet HIM here? I have as many questions now as I did when I started this pilgrimage, but they are different. Many have been answered in the last 7 days. And I know that I will see deeper insight as I move into the future and reflect.

This is what I know now: GOD is in many places, we have to show up. He delights in our loving attention and HE longs to show us HIMSELF. I saw HIM in so many details of my trip.

GOD is in the present time. HE wants us to be present. This is where life is. Memories are wonderful to treasure, but we mustn't miss the present. I realize that in giving the people around us the gift of the present, we honor our relationship with them. This is something I will begin to cultivate. The concept has been introduced to me many times, but hopefully it is beginning to sink in. STAY IN THE PRESENT.

I enjoyed watching people interact. Since I was quiet so much of the time, I had time to observe my surroundings. I noticed how beautiful people are in all the different colors. It is refreshing that we are all unique; with our customs, skin color, family traditions, faiths and culture. As different as we are, we are also very similar. We love our families, our faith, eating good food, laughing and loving. It has been good for me to be in the diversity. I don't experience it as much at home and for that I am sad. There were many countries represented in the people I observed this week and we all got along. Only one man got thrown out of a restaurant with bread flying over his head. I would have loved to hear that story!

GOD is about compassion; for ourselves and for others. As a good FATHER, he wants HIS beloved children to get along. And we don't always. I am sure HE gets frustrated with us as we get frustrated with our loved ones when they fight.

GOD is about special occasions. HE loves a good celebration. Life is a celebration and we've been invited. Will we show up?

GOD is about love. Will we pass on what HE has given us in abundance?

GOD is about contemplative time. This can be achieved walking a labyrinth, sitting quietly to listen to a magnificent organ concert, concentrating on a beautiful stain glass window or meditating on a phrase or two. Any of these methods can transport us beyond ourselves and into the realm of the heavenly. Experiment with different method so you may find what works best for your time with our FATHER. Make time everyday to experience the extraordinary power of GOD.

During this week, I experienced a couple side stories which made this trip even more fun. Years ago, I read a historical fiction book about a girl growing up in the world of tapestry making in the middle ages. It centered around a series of 6 panels called the Lady and the Unicorn. I googled the tapestries and sure enough, they were real. Then I went on with life and forgot about them. While in Europe with Cullen 3 summers ago, I discovered that these panels were on display at the Cluny Museum in Paris. I dragged him to view them with me. They were breathtaking and unique and I fell in love with them.

What is intriguing is the mystery surrounding these tapestries. The name of the family who commissioned them has been lost in time. Many guesses but nothing for certain. Even the meaning of these panels requires deciphering. And I do love a good mystery. At the time, I bought the brochure describing them in detail along with all the speculations. I threw this brochure into my suitcase for this trip. Not sure why. In one of the shops in Chartres, I noticed some beautiful tapestries from Flanders. I began to look through them. To my surprise, there were some of the Lady and the Unicorn panels in reproduction. My favorite is the last panel in the series called Mon Seule Desir (my only desire or one desire) I mentioned the concept a couple days ago when I wrote about the 5 senses plus the sense of the heart which is argued to be a part of the "six" senses. I think there is some truth to this theory. The first day, I found the panels for the sense of hearing and touch, but no others. I had forgotten the story behind the tapestries, etc. so I hurried back to the hotel to refresh my memory. After falling back into the mystery of it all, I decided that if the store had my favorite Mon Seule Desir, I would buy it to hang in my bedroom. To my joy, they did.

And I bought it. I am thrilled by the turn of events.

I have found that many of my experiences are interwoven from the past into the present. The "rest of the story" comes to me "as it will" if I am paying attention.

Let me know your "as it will" stories. Bonne Nuit.