The Rebel Nun Comes for a Visit

Karen is a special person. She was the very first one to join us when we began thinking about creating a very different kind of school.

She began meeting with us. The founding group grew larger and our friendship deepened. She eventually has to quit her job because it no longer jived with her philosophies. Karen came to live with us and stayed many a year, perhaps 8 or so. She became like a great aunt to our children. She was always interesting to visit with. She was also a quiet rebel in a question almost everything kind of way. It is part of what we love about her.

She grew up with her missionary parents so it was no surprise to us when she felt the call to change careers again - only this one was more than a career. After much careful consideration and study she decided to devote herself to God as a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. She moved to California, became a nun, and then became Mother Nina. It was exciting to see where her path had taken her.

You might imagine how much we missed her. We have not seen her in years. We were thrilled when she emailed to say that she would come for a visit. I wondered how she might be different, how she might be the same. She came for dinner on the 4th of July, what turned out to be a rainy evening.

We quickly found that the only thing that really changed was the way she dresses. It shows her devotion to her God. She normally wears black garb but opted for the gray dress instead so as not to appear too dark, or, as she put it, she did not want to look like the Goth Nun. This made me smile for I knew then that the Karen we know and love is still very much present. She told stories of how she became Mother Nina and when she was tonsured. When I asked her why "Nina" had been chosen for her she replied that she had not asked because she was already asking way too many questions and pushing other boundaries. All of the Mothers have names from the Bible. Nina was a woman in the Bible that was in some way connected to missionaries or spreading the word of God through travel. She thought perhaps that had been part of the reason for the choice - for indeed, it is a very fitting one.

Our visit lasted for hours, but was still too brief. I have always admired Karen for her ability and conviction to live her life according to her principles, her beliefs, regardless of how those beliefs might inconvenience other parts of her life. And I still do. Her devotion and love for her path in life and for God is evident. We are lucky to count her among the people we are close to.