When we first arrived at the ICCN, one of our facilitators spoke with us about transitions. “Sometimes,” she said, “one picks up strange or new habits during a time of transition. Something routine to hold on to when everything else feels strange.” We laughed and told her about our new ritual: beach glass!
The ICCN is located 15 minutes away, on foot, from Lake Michigan. Almost daily, a few of us will go there to soak in the sun, listen to the waves, and hunt for beach glass.
You’re familiar with beach glass, yes? Bottles or jars break up and are tumbled by the water and sand until they are smooth and frosted. Beach glass inevitably washes upon the shore and blends in with the sand and stone. You can spot them especially at noontime because the light is reflected off these bits of glass. That’s how I spot them, anyway.
When we novices “hunt” for beach glass, we share what we find with one another. We take turns washing, sanitizing, and sorting the glass into jars. These jars decorate our living rooms, our dining room, and our desks.
On the one hand, I guess you could say we have found an activity to cope with this extreme transition that is the Novitiate; a hobby to keep us grounded. When I think about it on a deeper level, beach glass and novices have a lot in common. Let me explain:
1. We both need to be well-formed: When I spot a piece of glass that has rough edges; is not yet smoothed and tumbled enough by the waves of Lake Michigan, I toss it back and say, “not ready yet!” Well, neither am I as a novice! I still have to be formed- maybe even tossed around by the water of New Life a bit, before I can enter the next phase of my formation process.
2. The best finds are buried: Beach glass is not always easy to spot. Recently, I noticed it's best to wander further from the shore to the rocky part of the beach, to find the smoothest, frostiest glass. The light does not always catch these. Sometimes, I have to brush away a few layers of sand to find a large, beautiful piece. And I'm always surprised by the well-worn, ready pieces I find. This particular part of our formation period is designed to help the novice go deeper spiritually and personally. It takes time to learn the discipline of contemplation and community life. We may need to dig through a few layers of “sand” to find our true selves. In this time of formation, I am learning a lot about myself and how to best develop my contemplative life. It is not easy, but neither is finding beach glass.
3. Diversity is key: You’d be surprised at all we have found. Our kitchen holds various sizes, shapes and shades of glass. These treasures remind me of each novice: a different woman who has seen her share of the rough waters of life, aiming to reflect the Light of Christ in our world. Each of us is a treasure, a gift to each other and hopes to be a gift to the Church.
I don’t know if this ‘transition ritual’ of finding beach glass will end before we depart the ICCN, but I do hope I continue digging through the sand to find my true self and reflecting the Light of Christ long after this period in our formation is ended.
May the Peace of God be with you.
Sr. Jamie
Adrian Dominican Sisters