Sufficient to Cleanse the Soul Completely

Day 153 of A Year of War and Peace

Just as an overcast sky obscures the daylight, so too does cloudy thought dim the sunshine of reason. Today Natasha’s mind is thick with storm clouds. She’s in a state of agitation, enduring a constant barrage of negative thoughts about Prince Andrei, the old Prince, Marya, and Anatole. All of this primes her to make a decision by the chapter’s end that will rain down all sorts of trouble on her life.

It’s really too bad Marya Dmitrievna leaves Natasha alone today. Natasha would have benefited greatly from her “stern” guidance. Instead, Natasha is left to the influence of Helene. That’s a shame because all Helene is interested in is luring Natasha into hanging out with her brother Anatole. Anatole, as we’ve learned throughout the novel so far, isn’t really someone you’d want a nice girl to hang out with. But Helene convinces Natasha anyway. She does so through flattery and sweet talk. The talk is so sweet, in fact, that Natasha convinces herself that going to spend an evening with a known rake is really no big deal at all.

It’s clear that Natasha has made a mistake. It’s also clear that the cloudy, scrambled thinking of the early portion of today’s reading places her in a mental state that invites poor decision making. Perhaps it would have helped if she distanced herself a bit from the situation and thought clearly about what she was getting into.

Storm’s coming.

DAILY MEDITATION