And Then, ‘Nothing’ Happened

The original plan for this weekend was to attend a retreat on Centering Prayer. You may recall my trepidation of coming face to face with the possible Nothing, and my general excitement over the retreat, since it was going to be led by Cynthia Bourgeault. Or, you can see those entries here and here. Well, it turns out that the Nothing was not meant to be; Cynthia had to cancel the retreat late last week because of a funeral. So, my heart goes out to her and her family and hope that they can find some comfort in each other in what must be a difficult time.

This weekend, then, has been unscripted and unplanned. It’s left room for small things like cleaning and some laundry and reading. It allowed us to go see a small, yet terribly interesting second hand furniture store, and stop by a bakery to delight in baked treats. It’s amazing how some bakeries have a timeless quality, with the displays, the lighting, the treats all retaining their look from as back as far as my childhood.

Today I think there is grocery shopping, putting some finishing touches on my part of a baby shower for next weekend, and hopefully reaching out to friends and family to check in. The Nothingness that I once feared has so far revealed itself as nothing, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of its quiet.