This post was originally shared on June 27, 2016.
I had a nice hike with a new friend a few weeks ago on a new-to-me trail. Almost 7 hours of conversation getting to know an amazing young woman, what was important to her and where she thinks she might be headed in life (at least the first few steps, anyway). It was exciting to hear her talk. Her whole life lays in front of her, so many different possibilities.
Not unlike where I find myself, just 25 years later than her. Do any of us ever stop growing? Searching? Longing?
For some it is a celebration, this journey. This never-ending evolution. For others, it is constant frustration to be making these decisions about the direction of one’s life all the time. They prefer to feel settled. Stable.
I participated in a women’s retreat with my church awhile ago, an annual event I have been a part of for about 10 years now. The theme was about belonging, blessings and being beloved.
ALL GOOD REMINDERS.
It is always a great opportunity to slow down, take inventory and assess where I am at that given point in my life and give thought to its direction.
Am I headed where I am being called?
It is normal for my retreat experiences to include writing in some form, whether it be my own journaling or in a guided experience. This year, there were several exercises over the weekend to write down our thoughts around the theme of the retreat.
In one of the sessions our speaker had us write a pantoum. It’s a structured form of poem, with prompts. It seemed a little silly at first but the trick was not to think about it too much and just put down what came first to your mind.
I wasn’t thinking much of mine while writing it in it’s individual pieces but after finishing and going back and reading it in its entirety, it was fun to see how it came together to reflect rather well what was in my heart.
I hope all of you out there not only have opportunities to stop and reflect on your lives and where you are on your own path but also know that you are loved and blessed on this wonderful journey we call life.
You can read my trip report to Talapus, Ollalie and Pratt Lakes here.
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