A Request Until She has a Face

The other day, I had to schlep several children to the pediatrician.  It was pouring rain and a difficult errand at best. Leaving with prescriptions in hand, I turned onto the road and saw a strange sight.  A woman walking in the pouring rain, wearing a black overcoat, sneakers and a hood.  From the back and side, there was nothing unusual.  But her face.

She was wearing a skull face covering her entire face. It was the kind you see in bad horror movies, like Scream, only a variant that was more realistic, less abstract.  It was the kind that are otherwise only spotted on or near October 31st.  Walking in the rain, a grown woman was dressed like this, she stopped at the bus stop. 

My mind scrolled through possible benevolent explanations.

1) She lost a bet she shouldn't have made.
2) This was a set up by some reality television exec. 
3) It's pouring, really pouring, and she grabbed a hood only to discover it was this, but it was better than getting soaked.
4) There is some flashmob zombie convention somewhere.
5) She works in a costume shop and was going home. She works in a costume shop and was trying to drum up business.

But the thoughts didn't mollify as I remembered, there is an abortuary near by where second trimester procedures take place.  I hoped the person wasn't affiliated with either the prayer vigil outside or the employees within, one would reveal a lack of charity, and the other, a chilled heart. 

Her "face" or the lack there of, took my mind off of all the amoxicillin I'd be forced to dish out over the next ten days.  It nagged at me though I sought out the radio, my children, anything to deter my brain from pondering how ragged a soul might possibly be to willingly don a mask of this nature.  I couldn't make those happy square peg thoughts fit in the round wounded hole I'd seen in that scene.  It seemed at best angry, at worst, mentally ill.

So I called my mom. 

She reminded me: the answer to everything, is when in doubt, pray. When you're frightened, pray.  When you're hurt, pray.  When you're angry, pray. When you don't know what you need, pray.  When you do, pray.

So I did.  But the woman stayed in my mind again today, so I prayed for her again today.  It still feels like not enough, like this woman, whoever she is, needs more. And what's more, I want to give this woman more. 

So I'm asking all of you, to pray:  That whatever it is, is made better.  That whatever it is, is healed.  That this woman walk the street, and we won't know it, but she will show her face. That would be a start.

If it was nothing, no harm will have been done.  If it is something, since we cannot know, we can do this. Maybe the world will feel a little less heavy today for that woman in the rain.  I hope so.