Well guys, I am typically not the person that turns stuff in late… but here we are two months in a row. My deepest and most sincere apologies.
So, what have we been up to this month of February? Uhhh many, many things, as per usual. I think we went on approximately 3,000 retreats, so I am tired. Oh, so tired. But, with those retreats comes a deep time of fellowship, learning, and fun with the Fellows. We voted on what Factions (shoutout Divergent) each of us would be in (including our guest speaker, Cameron) during the Career, Calling, and Vocation retreat, had some delicious dinner at Bolash Cafe (shoutout Klaus!) and celebrated Simas’s half birthday… plus a couple days, amongst other good times.
A big struggle for me this month has been sadness. Although saying goodbye is still a few months off, I’ll catch myself thinking about what it’s going to be like to say goodbye to this community. I can’t imagine how I’m going to be able to do it, and the more I think about it, the more anxious I become. It will truly be hard to say goodbye. But, instead of focusing on my fears of leaving, I’ve been challenging myself to focus on the gift of time that I have left. Fun times like Paranoia at the Silent retreat, game nights, and time finishing homework at 7:30 before class because we all forgot. These are precious moments that I need to stand in the midst of, to enjoy and be present in.
Much apologies, and thankfulness,
Gretchen