An Old Broom Knows (05/28/2026)

One of my favorite activities is journaling. For years, it has been my habit to journal during my morning prayer. I find it so helpful to reflect upon my life, my experiences, prayerfully. Doing so helps me to discover the “so what?” gifts from my experiences – the wisdom gained from the past experience that will impact how I behave in the future. My practice isn’t unique to me. There’s an old Irish proverb that says it well: “An old broom knows the dirty corners best.”

As I sit here this morning, I have to chuckle; surely, I could be mistaken for “an old broom” at 76 years of age. But the point of the proverb isn’t the age but the wisdom gained with experience. It’s amazing what we can learn if we are intentional about unpacking our moments, gleaning the lessons inherent in the experiences. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t ever want to be one of those people who tend to show up for the events but totally miss the experience.

The lessons I have learned through my experiences in life are more numerous than I can count or begin to recount for you. Many have been repeated frequently, such as the gifts of companionship on the journey. Over the years, I have realized through experience the benefits of being accompanied lovingly by another of faith and also the behaviors to avoid if I myself am the one “accompanying.” For instance, I have learned how important openness and hospitality are in accompaniment. I have also learned that lectures are to be avoided and modeling to be the preferred approach; St. Francis said wisely, “Preach always, and when you must, use words.”

Probably the most important lesson I have learned is to be who I am always and to do what I’ve been called to do always. You’d never see an old broom trying to act like a rolling pin. Hopefully, I never put down my identity of one attempting to follow in the footsteps of Christ. My reading of scripture tells me that one point that set Jesus apart always was that He knew who He was and his purpose in life. That knowledge/wisdom allowed Him to choose wisely. He always knew what to say and what not to say, where to go and where not to go, what to do and what not to do. Indeed, that’s one of the lessons I have learned, that’s part of the wisdom that I’ve gleaned from my experiences – Know who I am and my purpose in life learned through prayerful discernment and reflection.

As we continue our journeys of faith, hope and love, let us commit to being children of God, sisters and brothers of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit. Let us implore the Spirit for the graces necessary to discern our purpose and to embrace the LORD’s will for us with joy and commitment. Let us take every moment we live not only as a gift of time but also as a lesson with the potential of bringing us closer to ourselves, closer to our LORD, closer to our sisters and brothers. Let us seek the wisdom packed within the experience and use it to know, to love, and to serve our LORD and our sisters and brothers in the name of our LORD and for love of our LORD.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.