K-2-0, Refresh Your Soul!!!

I am back from my week-end, and what a week-end it was. I do not even know where to start. So much happened this week-end. I started it as one person, and then now finished it and feel like a totally new one. I did not realize the toll this year has taken emotionally on me. It has been full of so many ups and downs that I really did feel as though I was on a roller coaster ride. This retreat for me was like right after you are done with the ride and you are just catching your breath as you wait to get off and go on another one, if that makes sense. I was able to just breath and be and I did not realize how HOW much I needed to just breath.

The retreat started off on an interesting note. On the bus ride up there I ended up sitting next to the most energetic guy with an incredibly strong personality... I knew from that moment this was gonna be one eventful week-end that would take me somewhat out of my comfort zone, but in a good way.

It was interesting this year because I knew a 90% of the retreat leadership team. There were about four of us that had this "problem" not that I would consider it a problem, but we were for those trying to figure out how to place us. I ended up in a small group with a friend of mine who I have helped lead a retreat in the fall and also see pretty frequently. I was surprised they put us two in the same group, but the leader we had happened to be the only small group leader we never met before. Both he and I were still amused that we were placed in that small group, but now that the week-end is over I know that we were meant to be in that group for a reason. We were able to open up on a whole new level and I am now really able to call him a great close friend.

The talks I do not want to go to much into because they were so personal for the speakers to give... Let's just say there was something in each and every one of them that I could totally relate to. There was one particular that really touched me on a personal level. A friend who I have also come to know very well this year was talking about how his father had come down with a serious disease. He is doing ok now, but for awhile it was hard. There were about three months where he had to help his dad as he was recuperating from his illness. It made me remember how my dad was in a huge accident and it is a miracle he is ok. He was at work when he thought he would help out and cut the grass with a dixie chopper. He ended up flipping and the mower landed on him. Blessedly the biggest guy that works with my dad happened to look out and saw the accident. He was able to get the mower off of my dad. My dad ended up with a shattered pelvis bone and had to relearn how to walk. It was a hard Summer helping out with him... so his talk really did touch me.

Along with the talks we had Mass daily. We had time for Eucharistic Adoration and confession. After confession it was so cool because after we would sit down then different leadership member came and prayed for us. Friends of mine from the leadership team came and laid their hands on me and prayed silently. I started to cry a little bit because the people that did come and pray for me touched me. One of them happened to be the guy I mentioned above, but some were people I have come to care about a lot, and it was just nice to know that they wanted to do that for me.

The next day we also had affirmations in our small groups. It was interesting to hear how I impacted some of these people in such a short amount of time. They pointed out things about me that I never really thought that I did, but I apparently do. I almost started to cry, but I held it back. It was a good time.

Now I have probably written a book... there is so much that went on this retreat that it is hard to write it all out. Those were just the main highlights I enjoyed so much. Now I am going to go take a shower and relax a little before I REALLY go back to the real world... ha ha.