Photography Project #2: Reflections on "The Sound of Music"

The first time I remember seeing a decorative crucifix was at the age of eight. My mom and I were both rehearsing a production of “The Sound of Music”—she was cast as a nun, and I was to be little Gretl. In our third and final week of rehearsal, our scenery and costumes were completed. Upon viewing these new theatrical elements, I noticed crosses adorning the convent set, as well as the many rosaries being worn onstage by the nuns. At first those relics confused me, as I had no knowledge of their medieval symbolism. I was a bit disturbed at seeing the broken Christ, with wounds in his hands and feet, adorning our stage… and yet, as I performed night after night, I would stand at the bottom of the largest crucifix, completely mesmerized.

Our study abroad group has only been in Paris for two weeks, and I have already spent a great deal of time exploring cathedrals. In the early morning, before classes begin, I love to read in Saint-Merri. I go to Notre Dame to watch devout Catholics lighting candles to the Virgin Mary. Several times, in smaller churches across the city, I have walked in on nuns singing verses of scriptures—the most beautiful harmony imaginable. I always sit down in the corner, close my eyes, and listen to their voices echoing off the limestone.

Experiences like these cause me to think of my mother, dressed in her habit. I can see her sitting in the dressing room of the Willows Theatre, applying her makeup. And I think about her testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was at the age of eight that I remember her saying, “Megan, you should not be sad when you see the Savior hanging on the cross. It’s not a symbol of death. It’s a symbol of life. It’s a symbol of love.”

This collection of photos is meant to convey, in visual form, the warmth that I feel as I spend time in Paris’ cathedrals. I am fascinated by the jewel-toned patterns cast on the floor from stained glass windows and candlelight. It does not matter that my beliefs do not echo, in full, those of the Catholic faith. Like a young girl I once knew, I always find myself at the base of the crucifix.