Moving Along

[petitpèlerin]

This is crazy. I can't believe I'm making one of these posts. I mean, I can't believe that I'm at this point in my life and this is really happening. Pinch me.

I just spent a week with "my" sisters. I felt called to them this winter (I just want to mention that I've never felt "called" anywhere in my life but have been seeking my place in the world for well over 30 years. So when this happened I sort of had to take it seriously.) Anyway, I visited briefly a few weeks ago to talk to the novice mistress and she suggested I come spend a week and live their life with them, so I did. Everything went well. No spectacular moments of revelation of divine will (although celebrating the feast of St Joseph and Palm Sunday with them was pretty special!), just some trying time working in the kitchen (I hate kitchen work!), one perfect afternoon working in the yard (I love yard work!), some insight on how this would be very challenging to me (in precisely the areas where I know I need to grow) and some little signs as well as some bigger ones confirming that this is just the right place for me. It was a busy and demanding but very pleasant and normal week. (Almost too normal; eerily normal.) They want me to spend a week at one of their smaller priories so I can get a sense of what their life is like after formation (so far I've just been to the motherhouse). But both of the VIP sisters I met with during the week were beginning sentences with "when you enter here", and then correcting themselves with "if". And one of them said that after I visit the priory they'll be able to give me an answer soon so we don't have to draw this out. (Yay!) Then as I was packing up to leave, the prioress (who I didn't actually speak with all week but she smiled at me a lot, which says a lot, since she's French and the French don't smile to be polite, they smile when they mean it) . . . Anyway, she came all the way over to the guesthouse to stop by my room to say goodbye. And smiled some more.  :)

Well, now I'm home and happy to be cooking for myself my own cuisine (they actually eat well, I'm the weird one who eats so simply that monastery food is gourmet to me), but . . . I miss my sisters.  :/

[Guest Allie]

What a wonderful way to begin Holy Week!  Happy for you. :saint2:

[marigold]

That's wonderful! Sounds like you had a fantastic time :) Let us know as things pan out...

[petitpèlerin]

Thank you. I definitely will. :)