Wednesday January 12, 2011
After flights to Chicago and then a transfer to Sioux Falls, I was back home by late afternoon. I did a fair amount of reading in the air, and came across a remark by St. Thomas that the highest form of intelligence is intuition. Some things we know by study, others from experience. But sometimes, you just have to go with your gut tells you, even if you can’t say exactly why.
I often pray that God will keep my heart always pointed in the right direction.
I stopped in at Hogebach (HS Girls) for supper. Often with busy schedules, the High School girls eat and run but tonight, to the surprise of their houseparents, they sat and talked for a full hour and were almost late for their Daughters of Tradition meeting.
What got us started talking, was when I asked them what they would be most interested to see when they come back to our St. Joseph’s Indian School campus in ten or twenty years. The young women I spoke with have been here since at least third grade, and have noticed big changes in our high school program since they first came to St. Joseph’s Indian School. They wonder what it will be like a generation from now, and what changes will be made. They recounted funny stories that had us all laughing about things that they remember over the years. They spoke about jobs they would like to have if they came back to St. Joseph’s to work, which I always encourage. They shared about life at Chamberlain High School. When they are one of a few American Indian students in the classroom, it’s hard when they get asked to answer a question “from a Native American perspective” – like they are able to speak for a whole tribe of people. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a young person’s shoulders as they’re struggling to find their own voice and their own ideas. The time with them was a real treat.
I can imagine the pressure you speak of…I wonder why we think that one person can be or speak for a whole race??? I am remind by your story about the retreat director for my DHS senior year retreat asking us, “where we wanted to be in 10 years?” I wonder how many -if any of us were where we thought after 10 years??? It kinda makes me laugh..God does have a sense of humor!
Oh,Yeah..! When I was five years old, I went to a birthday party, where we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up . Everyone had a FANTASTIC hope..movie stars…Presidents..all kinds of stuff..But I was embarassed When they got to me, all I wanted to be was a “mommie”…
Lo and behold..! That was what I became..Mother of 10..!
As “They” say,”Be careful of what you wish for..You MIGHT get it..”!..and God also provided the intuition for meeting the need !
Gratefully,
Mia and Biob