Aging with Grace

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

Julian of Norwich

“All shall be well.” A few years ago, a friend gave me a bracelet with this quote on it. Seeing it gives me a sense of peace. The author, Julian of Norwich, was an English anchoress of the Middle Ages. Her book, Revelations of Divine is thought to be the first written in English by a woman. Her writing is still considered relevant and is often quoted today.

As an anchoress, Julian would have lived much of her life in a small, sealed, cell. Devoting herself to a life of prayer, she would remain  there, in seclusion, until her death. I admire her faithfulness and courage in making such a difficult, lifetime commitment, and I am grateful to be the beneficiary of her writing.

I wish I could say I have always allowed myself the sense of tranquility that comes from Dame Julian’s admonition, “all manner of of things shall be well.” More often, in the past weeks, I have found myself running around with my hair on fire, worried about how the current situation would ever be resolved peacefully. Thankfully, my better angels often win and my faith in something better triumphs.