So many stories are told of women facing mid-life crises, but so few are brave enough to confront the true underpinnings of such upheaval. Mary's story parallels a tale of divorce. The big difference between Mary's story and so many others is that her spouse was God, as opposed to some man who simply fancies himself a god.
Amazingly, I relate to Mary's story, and identify with the suffocation of wanting to change vocations. I have never traveled to Italy, and have never considered a life of poverty or celibacy. Yet the emotions Mary endures are so familiar, her experience does not seem foreign. While some of the facts of the story are unfortunate, the beauty of Mary's intent remains. She illustrates the portrait of MC life so well that even though some aspects of it are disturbing, her perseverance is understandable. Her depiction of Mother Teresa is provocative without being divisive, honest without being judgmental.
While Mary left the MCs and probably won't be canonized by the world's oldest "good old boys" club (and maybe the only one of these where those words can all be taken literally) known as the Catholic Church, she certainly seems like a saint to me. Thank you, Mary, for being bold enough to be your beautiful human self and having the courage to speak the truth that is your story.
- Tess Anderson is the mother of two teenagers who lives in Austin. She is a technical writer who writes electromagnetic compatibility and environmental reports. Born and raised in southeast Texas, Tess attended college and graduate school at Lamar University. She enjoys training for half-marathons, reading, writing, watching comedy, and drawing.