Today was one of those days that just didn't start how I thought it would. After hunkering down in the Arctic Blast yesterday I knew I would have some shoveling to do before I was able to head to class this morning. My plan was to get up early, shovel and make it to the library at 8:00 so I could do my Greek translation before class. It was a stupid plan from the start: what on earth is motivating about getting up early in the morning to shovel in almost sub-zero temps only to go study Greek? I realized the plan was flawed and slept in until 8:00, still hoping to make it to the seminary by 9:00. I, however, severely underestimated the time I needed to shovel...forgetting that since we had the Arctic Blast not only would there be crud at the end of the driveway from the snowplows, but it would frozen. After battling the frozen crud,I head in for a quick shower (a necessity because I hadn't showered in two days and the class I was going to has a strict "no hats in class" rule). So I turn on the water for the shower, thinking it would take some time to heat up...but it was taking a lot of time to heat up and I began to fret about global warming, water resources and wasting water and, I was reminded of Mother Antonia. 
I was in Tijuana a few weeks ago for a Developing Hearts that Yearn for Justice conference on immigration (I know, I know...I am wasting my time writing about life in Holland when I could be writing about this?!). We spent one morning visiting with the Servants of the 11th Hour, an order of nuns started by Mother Antonia. The nutshell version is that she was a socialite in Beverly Hills who after raising 7 kids and having 2 failed marriages decided she wanted to do something more with her life. So she moved into one of the most notorious prisons in Tijuana to minister to the inmates and their families. You should really get to know her. She has taken cold showers for the past 29 years.
So, I bit the bullet and took a cold shower. I figured, if an 81 year-old second-career nun in Tijuana can do it, so can I.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Cold Showers
Posted by Kate D at Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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6 comments:
OH, how i admire you for that. I can't think of many things that an 82 year old nun can do that I would even ATTEMPT to do! And a cold shower after shoveling snow?
Fuhgettaboutit.
funny... checked your blog while procrastinating doing my own greek translation. Since you mentioned translating greek I guess its a sign that I should do my work. Or bake some cookies, its a toss up.
cookies sarah. it's never a toss up when cookies are involved...
Now that I've read this post more carefully, I've learned that the picture is NOT of a woman who has just shampooed her hair (which I really thought it was). . .but then again, maybe she has -- with cold water.
ooooo, i'm excited to get to know this one.
hey... I have a developing heart that yearns for justice. how come i wasn't invited to the conference? how do you get to become a memeber of a group that has such a cool name?
Kate,
You really want your last post to be about cold showers?
Love you,
Sarah
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