Grace … Simple elegance, kindness, benevolence

Grace is not a word I use or even think of often. I am not positive I understood it’s meaning until I looked it up for this column…nor am I sure I understand it now.

To me, grace is a feeling I sometimes recognize when in the presence of others.

The emotion I associate with this word is hard to define. When I am in the presence of ‘grace,’ I feel calm, peaceful, and awestruck, all at the same time. But the circumstances are always the same – I find myself in the midst of an act of kindness that I am blessed to observe or be a part of.

Recently the word grace came to mind when I met a woman that wore kindness like an invisible mantle. Her manner, voice, and presence exuded it, before she even spoke.

She is a nurse, by profession, and she could not have chosen a better one. She also writes beautiful poetry on the side and she shared one with me. It was about the loss of someone very dear to her and as she read it, that person came alive in my mind.

A few tears rolled down her cheek while she read the poem and I thought how wonderful it was that she could not only share the words, but the feelings it brought forth as well.

Because she was so open I felt safe enough to share some emotion also, along with a few tears myself. Those who know me well, know this does come easily for me, never mind with a total stranger.

We shared our love of writing and I told her about a book that had opened doors for me. It is The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, and it was given to me by a gentleman I had interviewed years ago. Shortly after the interview I heard he had lost his job of thirty years plus, turning his life pretty much upside down.

During this time, I was also going through a rough patch in my life.

I ran into him at the post office shortly thereafter and was struck by the grace by which he was handling this turn of events. I was just about to leave the post office when he called out “Don’t ever stop writing Kath.” I turned around and replied, “I’ve lost all my words.” And walked out.

A few days later he showed up at the café I owned at that time with a copy of The Artist’s Way book. He said it had helped him and was hopeful it would help me.

I thanked him and put it away. Three years later I opened the book for the first time.

I told my new acquaintance about some of the things the book suggested, like morning pages and self-care. Morning pages became a way of life for me. Every day, before anything else, I wrote three pages of whatever popped into my mind. And every week, I took myself someplace new to explore. I did this for years.

The nurse told me how Providence St. Peter Hospital was founded by nuns. When she began working there, the last of the nuns were still serving, and how they inspired her.

Providence came to Washington in 1905. But the real story begins 100 years before, in Quebec, with one woman’s vision and vow to simply care for and serve others Émilie Tavernier was born in Montreal in 1800. At 23, she married John Baptiste Gamelin. Unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived. Within four years, she’d be forced to deal with the deaths of her husband – and their three children.

Stricken with grief, Émilie Gamelin occupied herself with the work of the Ladies of Charity, an organization that helped Montreal’s poor. She began to see the poor and needy as her new family – even using her home and inheritance to shelter destitute people of all kinds – orphaned or runaway children, the mentally ill, homeless, handicapped and immigrants.

Mother Gamelin founded the Sisters of Providence. But it was another woman - Mother Joseph - who brought them to the Northwest.

In 1856, Sister Joseph led a group of four nuns from Montreal to the Washington Territory. Bishop Bourget dedicated the new mission in the west to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He bestowed a new name on its young superior: Sister Joseph would be known as Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Under her leadership and trust in divine direction, more than 30 hospitals, schools and homes were opened for orphans, the elderly and the sick in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and southern British Columbia.

Today the nuns may be gone…but the healing continues and the grace remains…

Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia. Contact her at kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comments.