Retreat Today

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          One definition of the word ‘serendipity’ is “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.”   This time at my school’s fall retreat, I love how our time is going to fall around us, delighting us with the usual people, like having Thursday evening to hang out with everyone, having some wine or beer, just talking, snacking, playing silly games, and laughing.  It’s been a huge rush of busy-ness since school began, and this is a time of renewal before the second rush to conferences, then the holidays.         

            During Friday, each of us has chosen an activity for the morning and for the afternoon, like journaling in the wild, horseback riding, low ropes, talking about a film, etc.  It will provide us with different ways of finding serenity, keeping a quiet relaxation within ourselves while sharing an activity in a new place with colleagues.  I am reminded of the poem Wild Geese by Mary Oliver, especially because of its inclusiveness.  Our retreat means different things to each colleague, and we are grateful for it.

photo credit: saturn ♄ via photopin cc

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

        love what it loves.

Read the rest for your own retreat, here!