When I was
12 years old my family moved from Zimbabwe to Canada. As a parting gift my nana
gave each of the grandkids a St. Christopher’s medallion and necklace. I wore
it constantly until we moved to Sydney, Nova Scotia. In an incident one morning
waiting for the school bus, the necklace broke and the charm was lost. I was devastated.
I was neither
raised Catholic, nor believing in the intersession of saints, however this
medallion has come to have very personal meaning to me. My medallion depicts the
saint carrying the Christ child on his shoulders across turbulent waters, with
the words “Saint Christopher Protect Us.” People often wear medals as pendants
in devotion to Saint Christopher and to invoke his blessing. St. Christopher is
viewed as a saint of protection, particularly for protection during travel and
long voyages.
That was
more than 30 years ago. I have thought of that gift from her and missed it and
wanted to have it replaced but never did it.
Last year
for Christmas, Shel and the kids gave me a new necklace and St. Christopher’s
medallion. It is not exactly the same as the one nan gave me, but it is a gift
that I am very grateful for and one that has special meaning for me. Now I have
the constant reminder of my nan, as well as the added value of the gift from my
family.
When I was
12 years old the journeys I was undertaking were from continent to continent.
Now, the journeys I am on are more personal, less geographical, but I am grateful for this token of protection
in ALL of my travels, and extremely grateful for the thoughtfulness of Shel who
“reunited” me with this special part of my past – and my future.
