Committing to More than a Tattoo
I had to laugh this morning when I looked at the paper. Every morning I look for this little box inside the Datebook section, entitled: “Public Eavesdropping.” Readers send amusing remarks to Leah Garchik, who makes them part of her daily column.
Today it reads: One woman was heard saying to another,
“I can’t commit to anything except tattoos.”
We live in a society where the “C” word is frightening to many. We live in a culture where there are so many choices . . . and sometimes making a choice shuts out other ones, and that’s . . .that’s . . . that’s . . . a commitment. It feels safer to keep one’s options open.
Strangely enough, I live in a culture – the convent – where we have uttered the “C” word, and have made vows that will hold us, and that we will hold, for the rest of our lives. That final commitment – perpetual or solemn vows – keeps us from making other choices. But it also frees us to give ourselves in ways we couldn’t otherwise. It also means I have sisters that I share this commitment with. I’m not going it alone!
The gift of this life is that one can try it for a time and see if it fits. Sometimes it’s not clear how God is calling us. And our answers are often found in our living of our lives. So before sisters, brothers, and priests say the “C” word, we get to try the life on for size – for five to nine years.
Most of the nuns I know are okay with the concept of 
commitment of their lives. But they are a bit squeamish about the commitment of a tattoo! (except for the really brave ones, of course!)
AWESOME post, my friend. Isn’t it interesting how often we shy away from commitments, but in doing so we are making a commitment to be uncommitted. It’s kinda like a “default” commitment. I remember when discerning with my IHM Sister about religious life and she said something like being an IHM Sister was something she was willing to give her life … and her death to. And I thought to myself, that’s the kind of person I want to be … someone who is willing to throw my whole self into this thing called IHM. I want my whole self to be transformed. And in the process of making that commitment I wasn’t boxed in, as we might automatically think of a life commitment, but truly freed, open to more possibilities than I could have imagined. Now that’s a good buzz that lasts a lot longer than the warm buzz of a tattoo needle!
i love it! thank you for updating your blog….i come to these every now and then for my “spiritual reading” …
commitments are interesting … we commit to NOT commit … we commit to short time commitments … but throwing in the whole LOT to something ambiguous, unsure and so counter cultural is a bit daunting …
especially in today’s world when commitments, “religion” and anything spiritual other than the universal cosmic, ‘esoteric everything’which sometimes equates to nothing…..is what most will shy away from –
but i find in the depths of most any heart – there is the desire to commit – to something bigger than ourselves – something meaningful and just and good…we long to “belong” , we long to be connected, we long to use our lives in creative, out of the ordinary, for someone else – ways – what the world (what I) is longing for is the REAL DEAL – we are tired of the FAKE – so making the choice to the BIG ‘C’in religious life was it for me!
and i must say – i made the commitment to the tattoo – long before i made the commit to religious life – perhaps that helped me??!! knowing that this tattoo will to be with me the rest of my life is a reminder that the community and who i am in the community will be with me the rest of my life too! (the tat is very lovely, BTW, nothing scary – i laugh every time i look at it – it was a sign of my willingness to jump in – a result of a dare) maybe that is what we need to do – dare someone to jump in and make the decision of a lifetime!
Well, Aneesa, you are the third WONDERFUL sister I know who is both committed to her community, and committed to her tattoo! The other two sisters got their tattoos after entrance. And they are meaningful to them. All I can say is, “Owwwwww.”
Yes, I believe we are all longing for something to commit ourselves to wholeheartedly. I am reminded of the words of Sr. Ita Ford, MM, who was martyred in El Salvador over 25 years ago. She wrote to her niece, “I hope you come to find that which gives life a deep meaning for you ….. something worth living for, maybe even worth dying for ….. something that energizes you, enthuses you, enables you to keep moving ahead. I can’t tell you what it might be–that’s for you to find, to choose, to love. I can just encourage you to start looking, and support you in the search.”