VIRIDITAS 2: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
How would I self-describe myself? Hmm … I am a mom of a special needs kid, a wife, a dog-owner, a nurse by profession, a nurse practitioner by training, and a nurse working in academia at Chaminade University of Honolulu. With these major primary roles comes the need to make sure I live in a sort of balance that I can serve people the best that I can.
I think of myself as a somewhat creative life learner, doing things which brings me joy. When I go to meetings, I always carry a notebook for intentional reflection of things. Journaling is a great way to make time for yourself, and to heal. From Oprah Winfrey I learned the practice of writing down five things I am grateful for every day.
One might be wondering what I mean by intentional reflection. “Who has time to do those things?” Being a military wife, there were many places my husband and I needed to go. We needed to take time for reflection. What do we want to do? Do we want to have kids? Do we want to have dogs? Do we want a house? What about our careers? Early on in our 28-year-old marriage, we agreed that each year, especially around our anniversary, we would think of goals. Maybe it could be a one-year goal, or a five-year goal.
One day, after living in Maryland for a long time, my husband asked me, “Where do you want to go?” I thought that was a very strange question. I thought let’s just flip the globe map and figure things out as home is basically wherever the military brings us. However, since we were going to move again, I needed to take time to reflect on how I would make the best of the situation in a new environment and the forging of new relationships.
In Hawaii, his tour of duty for him meant two months on a ship and two months back. We didn’t have kids then. I didn’t know anyone here. So, what I did was to become more aware of resources offered to the military. From an advertisement I saw that the military was looking for an ombudsman. I didn’t know what it was. But I learned it was one who would take care of other families who are left behind. Activities for the families included renting trolley rides for Christmas, holding craft sessions and addressing issues. My being an ombudsman led to further joyful opportunities to serve.
For the past 12 years, I have been teaching at Chaminade University in the nursing program. It is a long drive to campus from where I live. How do I live in balance? When I get up in the morning, I read a little from the book “Words of Wisdom for Women.” I reflect on how I can apply the Scripture or reflection to my day. Later, as I am driving, I ask God to make my day productive, or to lead my life in the way he wants. I know God will guide me no matter what the day may hold. This, with the rosary, helps to give me the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual strength needed to lead my life according to his will.
This column profiles people who live the faith in vibrant ways in their own words. If there is someone in your parish you would to recommend for a profile, email Sister Malia Dominica Wong at mwong2@chaminade.edu.
