Starting Point
This week's stories | Home Page
Issue Date:  March 4, 2005

Starting Point

By JONI WOELFEL

Following reconciliation with my husband, we relocated to a new area where I industriously went about the task of creating a sense of home. I lived alone five days a week while my husband commuted weekends from his place of business nearly 100 miles away.

Having embraced the past and learned valuable lessons, I felt empowered, enthusiastic and complete. I prayerfully moved through each day with purpose and a sense of well-being. I thought, “This is what life is supposed to feel like.” I felt I owned my life and my happiness. Many times I thought of the famous painting of Christ knocking on a door that only opens from the inside. The spiritual practice of being an “open door” to life, God, loved ones and strangers was an aspiration I hoped to keep growing in.

Ironically, as I prayed that I could learn to have an open mind and heart, there was a door in our house that I kept closed, the door to the basement. The unfamiliar creaks from our basement, especially the abrupt, loud knocking sounds from the boiler made me nervous and jumpy. At night before I went to bed, I propped a chair against the door. Sometimes I would sleep with the lights on.

Because the basement is underground and often dark, it represents the deepest realms of the psyche. You have to descend stairs to get there. I thought of the basement of my soul where my deepest fears, wounds, hopes, dreams and memories are kept. Eventually I felt ready to open the door to the basement and leave it open. The ivory carpeted stairs are beautiful, and I grew comfortable walking by the doorway at the top of the stairs or descending to the family room below -- at any time, day or night -- knocking boiler or not.

I decided this is how we should feel about the deepest levels of our spirits, convictions and faith: It is best to leave the door open, allow ourselves to grow comfortably at home there, coming and going often.

Joni Woelfel’s fourth book, The Edge of Greatness: Empowering Meditations for Life was published last fall by Resurrection Press.

National Catholic Reporter, March 4, 2005

This Week's Stories | Home Page | Top of Page
Copyright  © The National Catholic Reporter Publishing  Company, 115 E. Armour Blvd., Kansas City, MO   64111
All rights reserved.
TEL:  816-531-0538     FAX:  1-816-968-2280   Send comments about this Web site to:  webkeeper@natcath.org