Edwina Gateley

Letting Go
From Edwina Gateley, There Was No Path So I Trod One (1996, 2013)

It is time to go.
I can smell it.
Breathe it
Touch it.
And something in me
Trembles.
I will not cry.
Only sit bewildered.
Brave and helpless
That it is time.
Time to go.
Time to step out
Of the world
I shaped and watched
Become.
Time to let go
Of the status and
The admiration.
Time to go.
To turn my back
On a life that throbs
With my vigor
And a spirit
That soared
Through my tears.
Time to go
From all I am
To all I have
Not yet become.

From edwinagateley.com: Born in Lancaster, England, Edwina Gateley's educational experiences have awarded her a Teacher's Degree from England, a Masters in Theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and certification as an HIV counselor in the State of Illinois. From 1981 to 1982, Edwina lived for nine months in prayer and solitude in a hermitage in Illinois. In 1983, she spent over a year on the streets of Chicago, walking with the homeless and women involved in prostitution. Within these two experiences were the seeds of her ministry that would be realized in 1983 when she founded a house of hospitality and nurturing for women involved in prostitution. Numerous groups and individuals, including the Governor of the State of Illinois, the Mayor of Chicago, the late Cardinal Joseph Bernadin, and the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, have publicly commended Edwina’s work and ministry. Edwina is currently writing, leading retreats for abused and marginalized women, and serving as "Mother Spirit" for Exodus, a program in Chicago for women in the second phase of recovery from prostitution. Edwina continues to give talks and retreats internationally. She is available to speak of her faith journey, and her struggles to be faithful to her call to urban ministry and mission. She also speaks on Transformation, Justice, Mission, Women in the Scriptures, Mysticism, Prayer and Spirituality.