Whom Do You Admire?

A write acquaintance of mine, Serena Diosa, posed this question on her Facebook page for Tinkey’s Goldfish, a children’s book she wrote and self-published. In the several weeks since reading this post, I’ve pondered and considered about how to address it. I can list the people I love, respect, etc., but admire? This morning, it came to me: St. Therese of Avila. St. Therese was a sixteen century Roman Catholic mystic that suffered from ill health and experienced visions (some say she even levitated during Mass). She wrote her Interior Castle under obedience from her superiors and tells her story in a rambling, chatty prose that made me feel I was having a conversation with her. With Interior Castle, St. Therese suggests the soul is divided into seven rooms or “castles,” each having a particular character of its own. She describes each state so clearly, I could easily discern where I was on my spiritual journey using only her roadmap for my guide. I remember the first time I read Interior Castle. I was battling strep and waking frequently from the throat pain; my six month old nursing baby (now a strapping twenty-year-old culinary arts sutdent) woke up in-between those times. Upon each awakening, I would turn on the little light by the bed and read until I grew sleepy again. St. Therese’s writings were so compelling, I forgot about my sore throat and actually began to look forward to the disrupted sleep, so I could read some more. So why do I admire her? I'm attracted to her approach regarding life and mysticism; I appreciate her writing style. She also accomplished something most writers will never achieve (although many secretly hope they will): a manuscript people still seek out and voraciously read, centuries past her death.