Looking Back

When thinking about the future, one naturally reflects on the past, which is exactly what happened when talking with Sister Lois. She reflected on her life as a Sister and remarked that it has been a happy and worthwhile life, and that if she were to do it all over again, “I would do the exact same thing."¹

 

Sister Lois reflected on how, by opting into a religious life, she hasn’t lost anything. In fact, she has gained so much in her companionship with those in the community. She talked about how there are always people with which to talk or do activities. Furthermore, she has companionship in times of trouble: “If I have any problems, I have a spiritual director that I go to once a month. We talk about my progress in religious life and in knowing God. Who else has that opportunity?”

"...I wake up each morning, and I say, ‘Thank you, God. You are so merciful. You are so kind. You are so loving.'" -Sister Lois

In this way, Sister Lois has also gained so much in her relationship with God. She explained that in religious life, “everything is set up for us [the Sisters] to grow closer to God,” and in growing close to God, she has consequently gained a happy life void of pain: “I think about my sister and my different friends, and they are always struggling, and they have so much pain in their lives, and I don’t. I think, ‘How is that possible?’ That’s the way it is. That’s what religious life is all about.”

Therefore, in her decision to join religious life, Sister Lois has gained so much of everything she thought she had forgone: “I haven’t lived to make a lot of money, to be very important, or to get a lot of recognition, or to be famous, or to live a really easy life. That isn’t important to me. And somehow, I’ve had all of those things come back to me, but it’s never something that I ever sought… So people think you give stuff up. You don’t. You get so much back.”

One thing that has surprised Sister Lois throughout her 55 years as a Sister was the uniqueness in each year: “I just finished 55 years in the community, and every year is different, and that’s the thing that’s a surprise. I just thought you entered and boom that was it; every year was the same. But every year, there are different things. Some years, I’m reading all the time. Other years, I experiment with different types of prayer.”

"I haven’t lived to make a lot of money, to be very important, or to get a lot of recognition, or to be famous, or to live a really easy life..." -Sister Lois

Therefore, in reflecting on all of this, she concluded with: “Now looking back, there was such grace. There was such goodness in God that I could have the life that I’ve had, and I’m so grateful. I wake up each morning, and I say, ‘Thank you, God. You are so merciful. You are so kind. You are so loving.’”