Wednesday, July 15, 2020

A Woman's First Day in a Convent [44]



"Who's that statue of?" asked Roberta of the nun she was walking alongside.

"That's a statue of our first Abbess, Sister Mary," Sister Mary said. "You'll become well acquainted with her and the zealous practices she instilled in all of us here at the convent."

"Well, I'm excited to learn. Will there be a film?"

"Oh no, my dear. We don't even have a television on the grounds."

"No TV? How do you get through the day?"

"We say our prayers and do our work and we're grateful for what diversions God might grant us."

"What kind of diversions? Do you go to fairs? Attend plays? Maybe hit up a baseball game every once in a while?"

Sister Mary chuckled for a bit and patted Roberta's hand.

"While we recognize other nuns in other convents are allowed to do such things, we take a different tack. We're a little stricter about interacting with the outside world and feel that, for the most part, we can get to know God on our little farm. We look at the things around us - like pomegranates in the trees or rocks on the ground or birds in the sky - and try to see God's hand in all of them."

The two strolled in silence for a minute, which Sister Mary took as a sign of contemplation on Roberta's part. The two entered the convent's church.

"So, nothing from the outside? Not even a lick of ice cream?"

"Sister Mary wrote a page or two on how hard it was for her to give up ice cream. That said, we're not perfect people."

"Say, who's that on the cross?"

The nun stopped in her tracks.

"Roberta," she said, "I don't think you're going to fit in here."

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