This past weekend, I had the opportunity to fall in love all over again. The experience was truly amazing! What's more amazing is that I not only fell in love once, not twice, but three times! Can you believe that?! Three times! After all but giving up on the idea of 'love', I was able to feel myself fall.
I suppose it started in the middle of the week, actually. On Wednesday, I left work early, feeling sick as a dog. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and hibernate for a week. But, you see, things very rarely work that way. I came home to a monster of a project. So, rather than lay in bed and get much needed rest, I helped my sister tackle the gala dinner project. This led to a 48 hour stretch without sleep(30 minute naps don't count). How can one fall in love with this on their plate? Well, there was a point at which we thought that the project wouldn't end. That we wouldn't have enough time to design and lay out the booklet in order for it to go to print in time for the dinner on Sunday. But, on Friday night, the last of the corrections were made, all the ads built and placed, the articles written, and the booklet sent to print! Not only did we have it done on time but there was a profit made that would go to educating young men to lead us in our faith. So, I was able to see the miracles that got us through the week and made the production possible. I fell in love with my creator all over again.
For the past 3 months, I have been working with a group from my past. Friends with whom I had been very close to and had lost contact with over the years and a couple of new faces. We worked closely in order to put together a retreat for the confirmation class in Ordot parish. Getting together with these friends, I was able to realise that our relationship, no matter how long it had been, was as strong as it ever had been. Walking in to that room, on the first meeting I attended, was like coming home again. Like finding a lost loved one, I suppose. So, I fell in love with them all over again for accepting me for who I am... knowing everything about my past and not judging me by it. For knowing who I am more than most people do and putting all the BS aside to see the true Jess.
Finally, on Saturday, I began the day with the sunrise at the confirmation retreat(after the 3rd night without sleep). Looking out over the island, it was easy to forget that you once loathed this 'rock'. The sunrise is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to start the day. To see the sky turn all the colors of the rainbow and the sun break through the clouds, the rays reaching as far as the could... an absolutely stunning vision. Then, after a full day of sessions and sharing with the kids, we watched the sunset from the Asan Bay overlook. I had the opportunity to sneak away and observe it undisturbed. From the overlook, you have a view of the southern end of our island. The under developed part of Guam. To see the hills covered in green, the waves gently breaking on the reef, the trees swaying in the breeze and to feel the calm of the island... it was amazing! I fell in love with the majestic beauty of home, once again.
I realised, this weekend, that love doesn't have to be romantic. To me, it's more a feeling of comfort. A feeling of home. Of belonging. Coming to the realisation that you are where you should be. That there is a plan... even if it's not quite the path that you had chosen for yourself. It's in accepting that plan and seeing where that path leads you.
I think I fell in love once more. But, that's another entry altogether. We'll see where the path leads me. What's that saying about counting your chickens before they hatch?
To my sister, thank you for a wonderful two days of chaos. I'm not being glib. To the retreat team... Teddy, Andy, Jamie, James, Uncle Joe, Bobby, Zack, and Chrissy... thank you all for being you and for all the hard work you put in to this retreat. I believe that we are on truly blessed for being able to share our experiences and our faith with others.
No comments:
Post a Comment