Watcher of the morn…sentinels waiting for dawn

Well, after a four-year hiatus, welcome back!

Returning readers who remember the beginnings of this blog will recall that it started as an outlet for me to share the adventures and musings created by my three-hour-round-trip commute. When the commute ended, the blog went on hiatus because a) a 40-minute (now an 8-minute) commute in the car just doesn’t generate the same volume of material as a 90-minute one-way via car, subway, and shuttle van, and b) the new job was a lot more demanding in the writing department.

But, I’m happy to say that the blog is back, at least for the time being, with a new purpose! Since the last time I maintained this blog, I have had four wonderful years at the aforementioned new job, and in the process have fallen in love with the love of my life! In the coming days and weeks, I’ll share the story and get into some of the details. But for now, what you’ll find in these pages is the story of my journey from my life as I know it to entering the doors of a convent as a postulant with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Immaculata, PA. (From here on out, we’ll call them the “IHMs” since that’s their familiar nickname…and it’s less to type!)

The title of my blog “Watcher of the Morn,” came directly from the lyrics of the theme song for the 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto, which in turn took its inspiration from Scripture. I’ve always loved the idea of watching for the dawn, and the hope that it implies. When I really discovered Psalm 130, I was enamored by the fact that it, too, talks of waiting for the dawn – “My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn/More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord,” and it continues “for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.”

Hopeful words, no?


PS -- The posts here will be a mix of the philosophical and the practical. And the aim is to help friends and family navigate through this strange new world of "a family member/friend is entering the convent! Ahhhh! What do I do now?" So, if there's a burning question you want to ask, feel free to do so in the comments or via other means, and I'll see about answering it!