Highlights of my afternoon yesterday working with the sisters upstairs:
I spent about an hour and a half walking around outside with a sister who I've shared many mealtime discussions with, but I haven't often had the opportunity to just spend time with her one-on-one. I bumped into her in the hallway and saw she was heading outside for a bit and asked if I could join her. We spent the whole time chatting and picking some flowers. I happened to mention that lilies and daisies are my favorites so it was her mission to find me some good ones to put in my room. She told me a couple of times during our walk how nice it was to share the time with me and that it would be a happy memory for her of my time here.Then she took me upstairs to her room to show me a couple of pictures. I was so thankful for the special time spent with her.
I've written before about one sister in particular from the infirmary who I love to spend time with as you never quite know what to expect from her next. I spent the rest of my afternoon with her, most of that time we were sitting on a bench in the front of the house, watching the cars go by and chatting. She usually has the same list of questions she throws at me every 10 minutes or so "What's your name? Are you a sister? Do you live here? Do you have a family? Where are you from?" and she can go on and on. I was asking her a lot of questions yesterday too, and one of our conversations went a little something like this:
"Sister, what did you do today?"
"Nothin'."
"Really? Not one thing? Did you eat breakfast?"
"Well sure."
"Did you go to morning prayer?"
"Of course."
"Did you have lunch today?"
"I'd say so."
"Did you visit the Blessed Mother in the woods?"
"Mmhmm."
"Sounds like you did a lot to me."
"Nah."
Or this, as she was looking at my shoes and grabbing at my foot:
"Did you buy those shoes?"
"Yes Sister, I did."
"Must have cost a fortune with all that color on them."
"Not really. Did you buy your shoes?"
"Of course I did!! What do you think I did?? Make them myself??"
You can't beat her logic. You just can't.
As I'm heading into my last month in this program, I know it's the little things like this that I'm going to be grasping onto most. It's the little moments spent talking with a sister, going for a walk, sharing a meal, joking and laughing, playing a game or two, or just hanging around that I'm going to need the most in the next few weeks. Those are the things I'll miss most too once I'm gone. Sure, I'll only be 10 minutes up the road, and I'll be here every Sunday and I'm sure there will be visits in between now and then. But it just won't be the same when I'm not living here. While I'm trying my best to keep myself focused on today, not tomorrow, next week or next month, the part of my life that is waiting for me on the other side of this is practically staring me in the face and trying to get my attention already.
All the more reason to enjoy these little moments a little extra right now, while they're still here. And to pray, like I have every single day since I walked into these doors, that I can stay attentive to the present and to what is right in front of me. This period of my life won't last forever, it's rapidly drawing to a close, but I've still got today and another month to go. It's not over 'til I'm out the door and onto the next, but until then I'm happy and thankful to be right where I am.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Relay
I'm going to take a moment to shamelessly plug my Relay for Life team and my fund raising page.
Click Me!! :)
My goal is to hit at least $250 in donations by July 13. So far I've only been plugging it on Facebook and that hasn't been getting me too far. So, now I bring it to you, my lovely readers. No amount is too small, I promise you. Enough people donating $5 or $10 each will add up quickly.
I'm doing Relay and raising this money for all my family, friends and sisters who have or are still fighting cancer, those who beat it and those who left this world way too early because of it.
Feel free to donate online through my page above, or contact me at carrieann2589@gmail.com and I'll give you info on how to donate via check.
Thanks everyone :)
Click Me!! :)
My goal is to hit at least $250 in donations by July 13. So far I've only been plugging it on Facebook and that hasn't been getting me too far. So, now I bring it to you, my lovely readers. No amount is too small, I promise you. Enough people donating $5 or $10 each will add up quickly.
I'm doing Relay and raising this money for all my family, friends and sisters who have or are still fighting cancer, those who beat it and those who left this world way too early because of it.
Feel free to donate online through my page above, or contact me at carrieann2589@gmail.com and I'll give you info on how to donate via check.
Thanks everyone :)
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Update
Sorry I'm slacking on my posts lately :)
Here's a rundown of what's been happening in my little world the last week or so:
Last weekend Alyssa and I embarked on a trip to Oil City, PA with my mentor and our director to visit a couple of sisters who do their ministry work in that neck of the woods. To say the very least, it was a great time. It was nice to visit and to see where these two sisters worked, and getting away for a night was really nice. Good food, lots of beautiful weather, tons of fun conversation and laughs, it was a great way to spend a couple of days. Not to mention road tripping with my mentor and our director might be one of my top 3 favorite experiences this year if only for the abundance of ridiculousness :)
In other news: Alyssa and I have an official date for our departure from the Mount: July 29th. We're talking 6 weeks here people. 6.weeks. Can we talk about how fast this has gone? Actually, let's not talk about it. I feel like the winter just didn't exist. August through November went at a decent pace. But I swear Advent hit and it was like *voom* oh hey, it's June.
We're leaving almost a full month earlier than initially expected seeing as we moved in on August 20th. There's a few reasons for the change in date, and I'm OK with it since that's a little more time to get settled and start making some money. Regardless if we left in July or August, I'd always be wanting more time, so ultimately 3 weeks isn't a huge deal when I look at the big picture.
The good news is that we're staying in Erie. I'm not sure how I'd be handling it if I was going back to Syracuse or Buffalo, but I know it wouldn't be this well. I can't imagine moving super far away from this place and these women, not right now. Knowing I'll live decently close by is making this a smidge easier. But only a smidge.
Wait for it in a few weeks when it really hits me. This news is only a week old, I think my brain is still in denial at how soon that really is.
In more other news: I'm not going to graduate school this coming fall. Most everyone who reads this probably reads Alyssa's blog too which means you probably saw her post on this topic recently. I'm not going to dedicate a whole post to this topic, mostly because I've explained all my reasons to the people who really need to hear it, it doesn't need to go on here. But to explain it as simply as possible, my reasons for not going come down to two things: 1- I can't afford it right now, and 2- Edinboro just wasn't the right program for me, at least not right now.
I think I rushed into choosing Edinboro because I was in the mindset that if I wanted to stay in Erie I'd have to go to a school really close by. I was wrong, obviously, that's not the only way for me to stay. And reality hit that if I want to have a roof over my head and food on the table, I need to work more than 25 hours a week which wouldn't really be possible with class, homework and an internship. So, my decision was made after much discussion and prayer, and I feel much better with the added stress of school and those added finances taken off my shoulders.
This week at the Mount we've been on retreat and it's been wonderful. I'll post all about it on Sunday, I think I've maxed out this one for now :)
Here's a rundown of what's been happening in my little world the last week or so:
Last weekend Alyssa and I embarked on a trip to Oil City, PA with my mentor and our director to visit a couple of sisters who do their ministry work in that neck of the woods. To say the very least, it was a great time. It was nice to visit and to see where these two sisters worked, and getting away for a night was really nice. Good food, lots of beautiful weather, tons of fun conversation and laughs, it was a great way to spend a couple of days. Not to mention road tripping with my mentor and our director might be one of my top 3 favorite experiences this year if only for the abundance of ridiculousness :)
In other news: Alyssa and I have an official date for our departure from the Mount: July 29th. We're talking 6 weeks here people. 6.weeks. Can we talk about how fast this has gone? Actually, let's not talk about it. I feel like the winter just didn't exist. August through November went at a decent pace. But I swear Advent hit and it was like *voom* oh hey, it's June.
We're leaving almost a full month earlier than initially expected seeing as we moved in on August 20th. There's a few reasons for the change in date, and I'm OK with it since that's a little more time to get settled and start making some money. Regardless if we left in July or August, I'd always be wanting more time, so ultimately 3 weeks isn't a huge deal when I look at the big picture.
The good news is that we're staying in Erie. I'm not sure how I'd be handling it if I was going back to Syracuse or Buffalo, but I know it wouldn't be this well. I can't imagine moving super far away from this place and these women, not right now. Knowing I'll live decently close by is making this a smidge easier. But only a smidge.
Wait for it in a few weeks when it really hits me. This news is only a week old, I think my brain is still in denial at how soon that really is.
In more other news: I'm not going to graduate school this coming fall. Most everyone who reads this probably reads Alyssa's blog too which means you probably saw her post on this topic recently. I'm not going to dedicate a whole post to this topic, mostly because I've explained all my reasons to the people who really need to hear it, it doesn't need to go on here. But to explain it as simply as possible, my reasons for not going come down to two things: 1- I can't afford it right now, and 2- Edinboro just wasn't the right program for me, at least not right now.
I think I rushed into choosing Edinboro because I was in the mindset that if I wanted to stay in Erie I'd have to go to a school really close by. I was wrong, obviously, that's not the only way for me to stay. And reality hit that if I want to have a roof over my head and food on the table, I need to work more than 25 hours a week which wouldn't really be possible with class, homework and an internship. So, my decision was made after much discussion and prayer, and I feel much better with the added stress of school and those added finances taken off my shoulders.
This week at the Mount we've been on retreat and it's been wonderful. I'll post all about it on Sunday, I think I've maxed out this one for now :)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Beautiful Days
I've really been enjoying my ministry work with the sisters in the infirmary. I had the greatest afternoon yesterday.
One of our elder, more senile and more eccentric sisters injured her foot the other day, and my big task was to get her to sit still for as long as possible. Trust me, this is no small task when this particular sister can be found walking the halls, swinging her rosary, singing "oh what a beautiful morning" at almost any time of the day. She's a fixture of the corridors, to say the least.
The real challenge was to get her to not only sit but to let us put her foot up so we could ice it. Well, 50% isn't too shabby considering how much of a busybody she really is. I was able to sit with her for about an hour and a half. I was on top of the world considering that I figured I'd be lucky to get 10 minutes out of her before I was chasing her down the hall.
My trick? Puzzles.Lots of them. We did 3 puzzles while we were sitting there together, and she chatted away happily. She wasn't as fidgety as I was expecting, and she only got up twice to try to get some water and I was able to get her to sit right back down and get it for her. Success at its finest.
After awhile she did want to go for a walk, it was so sunny and nice out I knew she'd be out there eventually. But she's always more than happy to take me along, and I even got her to sit on some of the benches along the path, for quite awhile each time. I was on a roll!
After getting her back upstairs to rest for a bit I took another sister out to enjoy some sun and fresh air. This sister is in a wheelchair and can't get around too easily. I was more than happy to push her around outside and we sat in the memory garden for awhile talking. She was so happy I thought she was going to burst, she was so delighted to see the flowers and the trees and all the little chipmunks running around. She kept saying "thank Jesus for this beautiful day, and thank you dear for bringing me out here to enjoy it."
I take it for granted, being outside in the nice weather all the time, going out whenever I want to walk and enjoy the grounds. I can't imagine being stuck inside and only making it out if someone manages to come up with the time to take you for a walk. I was so happy to be able to do that for her, something that seemed so simple to me meant the world to her.
I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.
One of our elder, more senile and more eccentric sisters injured her foot the other day, and my big task was to get her to sit still for as long as possible. Trust me, this is no small task when this particular sister can be found walking the halls, swinging her rosary, singing "oh what a beautiful morning" at almost any time of the day. She's a fixture of the corridors, to say the least.
The real challenge was to get her to not only sit but to let us put her foot up so we could ice it. Well, 50% isn't too shabby considering how much of a busybody she really is. I was able to sit with her for about an hour and a half. I was on top of the world considering that I figured I'd be lucky to get 10 minutes out of her before I was chasing her down the hall.
My trick? Puzzles.Lots of them. We did 3 puzzles while we were sitting there together, and she chatted away happily. She wasn't as fidgety as I was expecting, and she only got up twice to try to get some water and I was able to get her to sit right back down and get it for her. Success at its finest.
After awhile she did want to go for a walk, it was so sunny and nice out I knew she'd be out there eventually. But she's always more than happy to take me along, and I even got her to sit on some of the benches along the path, for quite awhile each time. I was on a roll!
After getting her back upstairs to rest for a bit I took another sister out to enjoy some sun and fresh air. This sister is in a wheelchair and can't get around too easily. I was more than happy to push her around outside and we sat in the memory garden for awhile talking. She was so happy I thought she was going to burst, she was so delighted to see the flowers and the trees and all the little chipmunks running around. She kept saying "thank Jesus for this beautiful day, and thank you dear for bringing me out here to enjoy it."
I take it for granted, being outside in the nice weather all the time, going out whenever I want to walk and enjoy the grounds. I can't imagine being stuck inside and only making it out if someone manages to come up with the time to take you for a walk. I was so happy to be able to do that for her, something that seemed so simple to me meant the world to her.
I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Getaway
Sometimes you really just need a chance to get away. And I don't mean just heading home for a couple of days. I mean really get away.
The last few months have been crazy, to say the very least. About 2 months ago or so, in the midst of some sort of combined meltdown, Alyssa and I booked some super cheap bus tickets to head to Long Island to visit Michelle, our closest friend from college, and to spend a little time in NYC too- which I had never been to before.
Now, keep in mind this wasn't a total impulse. We'd talked to Michelle and had an idea that we wanted to visit sometime in June after she was done with school. But the impulse came at 10:30 at night on a particularly rough tuesday where we both finally said "we're doing this, and we're doing it now." and *boom* tickets were booked and a plan was being made. You can't beat $20 bus tickets (round trip!!) you just can't.
So that's how this little scheme was born. We had weeks to plan our trip and get really super excited for it. It was nice having something so great to look forward to. I hadn't seen Michelle since last June and having never been to New York City I was ridiculously excited to go.
It was a wonderful trip, to say the very least. It was great to be reunited with a close friend, and the 3 of us are quite a group, let me just say. It was fun just hanging out, getting to sleep in a little, doing whatever we wanted whenever we wanted to. It was nice to just be a normal 23 year old for a few days. I love it here at the monastery, I love my sisters, but of course I need chances to be a goofy, mildly impulsive, off-the-wall 23 year old.
We did way too much for me to rattle off here, but my favorite parts were going to see the Statue of Liberty and just walking around Times Square. I absolutely loved the city, all the lights and the people and the energy. I definitely have to make it back, sooner rather than later.
The adjustment now has been catching up on my sleep and readjusting to the schedule. I had a great time and it went way too fast for my liking, but it's nice to come back to all my sisters saying "welcome home!!! now tell me all about it." :)
The last few months have been crazy, to say the very least. About 2 months ago or so, in the midst of some sort of combined meltdown, Alyssa and I booked some super cheap bus tickets to head to Long Island to visit Michelle, our closest friend from college, and to spend a little time in NYC too- which I had never been to before.
Now, keep in mind this wasn't a total impulse. We'd talked to Michelle and had an idea that we wanted to visit sometime in June after she was done with school. But the impulse came at 10:30 at night on a particularly rough tuesday where we both finally said "we're doing this, and we're doing it now." and *boom* tickets were booked and a plan was being made. You can't beat $20 bus tickets (round trip!!) you just can't.
So that's how this little scheme was born. We had weeks to plan our trip and get really super excited for it. It was nice having something so great to look forward to. I hadn't seen Michelle since last June and having never been to New York City I was ridiculously excited to go.
It was a wonderful trip, to say the very least. It was great to be reunited with a close friend, and the 3 of us are quite a group, let me just say. It was fun just hanging out, getting to sleep in a little, doing whatever we wanted whenever we wanted to. It was nice to just be a normal 23 year old for a few days. I love it here at the monastery, I love my sisters, but of course I need chances to be a goofy, mildly impulsive, off-the-wall 23 year old.
We did way too much for me to rattle off here, but my favorite parts were going to see the Statue of Liberty and just walking around Times Square. I absolutely loved the city, all the lights and the people and the energy. I definitely have to make it back, sooner rather than later.
The adjustment now has been catching up on my sleep and readjusting to the schedule. I had a great time and it went way too fast for my liking, but it's nice to come back to all my sisters saying "welcome home!!! now tell me all about it." :)
 |
| Manhattan from Liberty Island |
 |
| The 3 of us in Central Park. We belong on a postcard :) |
 |
| Oh heyyyy Lady Liberty! |
 |
| All excited about the bus ride to NYC...until the bus went into motion haha! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)