The sisters spent much of their time in silence, even worked next to each other in silence, but they did have designated times each day for talking and relaxing. And, even in silence, people can use body language! Therese was tall and gawky, not very good at manual work. One sister called her a great nanny goat because of her inept hands; another constantly criticized her attempts at embroidery.
Yet another sister commented after her death that "Therese deliberately sought out the company of those nuns whose temperaments she found hardest to bear." Because Therese had decided to live to love others, and to learn to love others more and more deeply. What merit, she thought, was there in loving and behaving kindly towards people she loved naturally? That even included three of her beloved biological sisters, who also joined the Carmelite Order. Sometimes they grew jealous when, during times allotted for talking, she sought out sisters who seemed depressed or in need of company instead of talking with her own blood sisters.
Therese's head hurt when she tried to read intellectually deep books on prayer. Her health was fragile. She realized that she didn't have the personality or the physical stamina or a call from God to become a great, heroic saint doing great things.
She said "Leaving to great souls, great minds, the beautiful books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because only children and those like them will be admitted to the Heavenly Banquet."
Her great love was the Gospels, and she kept a small copy of them close to her heart. She said "It's especially the Gospels that sustain me during my hours of prayer, for in them I find what is necessary for my poor little soul. I am constantly discovering in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meaning."
Yes, Therese considered herself to be a very little soul, flawed by self-love and selfishness. So she decided that, being so little, she needed the arms of Jesus to lift her, like that new invention the elevator, into Heaven. Doing those daily sacrificial little acts of random kindness as well as spending daily time in prayer (especially prayer before the Eucharist) was her "Little Way" to God, a way to save souls, and to help priests, especially missionaries.
Therese understood that axiom "Bloom where you're planted." She said "Love proves itself by deeds, so how then am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers, and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."
She taught novices how to pray. Ordered by her Prioress to write her spiritual memoir, she dutifully composed what became a spiritual classic, "The Story of a Soul," as well as poetry and even plays which were performed by her fellow nuns and herself. Simple to the last, after her final suffering, which she offered to God, her last words on her deathbed were "My God, I love you."
Today St. Therese, the Little Flower, is considered a Doctor of the Church because of her magnificent Little Way to God, a way of prayer and random acts of kindness, a little way which is a perfect way to God for we ordinary souls who love God and want to grow in love for others.