Nancy

I haven't thought of Nancy S— in sometime. The last time I saw her was July 4, 2000, when we went to her daughter's to watch fireworks. But I thought of her last night, as I meditated on the sanctuary light during Compline (which followed a Benedictine study).

Nancy and I were never romantically involved. She was married when we first met, and we saw each other as adopted siblings. This remained true even after she divorced.

But the incident I remembered as I prayed occurred while Nancy was still married: we went to St. Gregory's for a retreat together. One night, in the cloister, Nancy watched the sanctuary light flicker. And she realized that it was a metaphor for her faith — sometimes faint, sometimes strong.

The phrase that occurred to me in chapel last night remained through the morning: “She prayed to the beat of the candle” Naturally, that became the first line of my latest "Postcard Poem. This one features a stained-glass luminary by Connie Beckers.

As always, I encourage you to read the card, then return here to comment.