Walk Slowly and Bow Often

I’ve just returned from a remarkable meeting. Five hundred members of L’Arche from 140 L’Arche communities around the world – 40 countries – gathered together in Atlanta for a once-every-five year meeting of the International Federation of L’Arche.

On Wednesday we voted on some principles and constitutions that will guide us as L’Arche grows and expands in the years to come.

But the best part of my day was helping Sharon walk down the long sloping aisle of our main meeting room. She is a big woman who uses a walker. She was afraid that even with her brakes, she would crash and fall as she tried to walk down the aisle. And the thing is that she wanted to sit at the very front. Why not?

We decided that I would walk backwards, in front of her, with both my hands on the front bar of the walker to provide stability and to ensure that the walker did not move too quickly.

It took us almost five minutes to move down the aisle.

One step at a time.

We chatted with one another and shared a couple of laughs. But mostly we just walked together down the aisle. It turns out that the pace was perfect for both of us. In the midst of a busy day full of many people and events, Sharon helped me to slow right down and be present to her. This is one of the great gifts of people who are differently abled; they invite us to slow down and smell the roses of life and friendship.

One step at a time.

When we arrived at the Atlanta meeting we were given a poem by American poet Mary Oliver who writes: “Never hurry through the world but walk slowly and bow often”.

I like that very much. Thanks Sharon.

Nathan