by Valerie Hess
Sitting in the lobby, fancy coffee and electronics in hand, I watch elderly tourists, soft bodies, canes, waiting to be called. A delay; the train will be late. Fellow pilgrims settle in, getting to know each other: comparing, contrasting lives, bragging a bit. Like sheep, they wait to be herded through beauty, eating what’s placed before them, sleeping where assigned. Soon, some will do this in a care facility, but for now, their world expands, like nearly worn-out elastic with a bit of hold in it. New pictures to share! New stories to tell folks back home. While they wait for the train, glory.
Valerie Hess is a musician, author, poet, retreat speaker, mother, and grandmother. She and her husband currently live in western Montana.