Christmas Reflections

This Christmas was probably the most enjoyable and meaningful it has ever been. It's definitely one I will be talking about and remembering for years to come. It was the first time I could actually take the time to enjoy the weeks leading up to Christmas without rushing around with studying, term papers, exams, packing, and just plain rushing to make sure you have covered everyone on your list that year...

But I think the most enjoyable part for me was how reflective and involved I was able to be. First of all, I think Advent is the most peaceful prelude to Christmas, and, as I said in a previous post, necessary to fully appreciate the season. We all received an Advent reading to reflect on, and I think it really helped put my mind and spirit in the right place. My Wednesday reflection days were a little more meaningful in the last month, and I really hope I can use what I've gained through all of this to help in the coming weeks and months. While I have learned and gained a lot, there is a lot more I can still learn, gain, and change.

Christmas with both of my families was wonderful. Christmas Eve liturgy was beautiful, and so was the service Christmas morning. I was privileged to be an "angel" at the beginning of liturgy, carrying the Advent candles and placing them in the wreath. I guess all I was missing was a halo, which I received after the service had ended. A lot of good that does, ya know? :p I am always humbled when I am asked to participate in prayer or liturgy, and this was no different. But there's nothing like being so nervous that you fear your sweaty palms might drop a candle just as you're raising it up or something. Yikes! (Shout out to my four wonderful candle holders, you were great!)

Sunday evening I arrived home to a house full of family and good food. I could have plopped into bed right then, but somehow I managed to fight sickness and heavy eyelids and finished out the day with a family gift exchange at midnight.

This week home has been nice. I have to admit, not setting an alarm and sleeping in with no bells waking you up is kind of nice, but something has been missing. Oh yeah, you know, the 60 other people I live with?? And then there's prayer. You get into a routine, so even when I'm at the Mount but sick, my days are a little empty without some quality time spent in chapel. But today I return back to my second home in the 814. I still need to pack, though. Somehow I always seem to come back with more than I left with. How is that?

Farewell, 'Fane. Until we meet again...

Even the pets get presents :)

One Special Christmas

Well, Christmas Day has come and gone, and I am not too sure how to put into words the past few days. I can definitely say I have developed an entirely new appreciation for Christmas this year. It's been an ongoing process, actually, beginning a couple of years ago, but I think it has really come full circle now.

Being at the monastery to experience everything leading up to Christmas morning was really special. I think I needed that. And while I was not able to see my family until Sunday night, something I am definitely not used to, I really felt like I was in the presence of family. There is something very unique and special about being one person in a group of 100 women, and feeling connected to each and every one. And there's nothing like Christmas to make that feeling stronger. The Sisters are my family, and although none are blood related and I have known the community for only a few years, they are no less special to me than the family I have been a part of for almost 23 years.

I did manage to make it home Christmas night, and I will be here through Friday. I guess I should take it all in because I'm not sure when I'll make it back here again.

I will post a longer entry later in the week with some photos, hopefully when I'm feeling a little better. Nothing like arriving home and promptly getting sick within the first few hours...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

A Decorating Frenzy

With only today and tomorrow to go before Christmas Day, the season is officially upon us. The Mount is decorated and everyone is getting into the spirit.

I was a little down and out when I heard that my family had decorated the house and were getting ready to bake and ice our Christmas cut-outs, which I will still insist are the best I've ever tasted, although I might be a little biased, and there still wasn't even a tree up here. To the Sister's credit, however, Advent is allowed its own season, which is something very new for me to fully experience, but absolutely beautiful and, I think, necessary if you want to appreciate this time of year. But the house is no longer empty.

Wednesday night was pizzelle night. A handful of us made pizzelles for a couple of hours and it was so much fun! It was also fun to have a little friendly competition to see who could make the perfect pizzelle, which is pretty hard to do. I had a great teacher though. Who knew that the perfect pizzelle cookie required a dance and oh so delicate flipping?

Last night was the big decorating night. It began with the GINORMOUS tree in the community room. It was so big, in fact, that Carrie and I were up on scaffolding to reach the top, while the others handed us ornaments and directed us to any bare spots on the tree. We even trusted our fearless leader to pull us around the tree on that thing...it's ok, we're still here. It's really cool to see such a big tree decorated in under 30 minutes!

After the tree was all set, we had prayer in the community room, followed by the blessing of the tree, and the Sister eldest in rank having the honor of lighting it. Christmas carols and cut-out cookie decorating came after. I was a sprinkle-er, or sprinkler, who knows. Anywho, I was in charge of putting sprinkles on the cookies, and there were dozens and dozens of them.

AND THEN!...after that was finished, off to the South Assembly we went to put up another tree and more decorations.

BUT WAIT! We weren't done. Our director and Carrie's mentor requested our assistance in putting up yet another tree, and decorating a lounge area down by their rooms. It really was a lot of fun.

After about 4.5 hours of decorating madness, and absolute fun-ness, we called it a night. Christmas is finally here, although I thought it was just August...actually, yesterday was just graduation. Where has the time gone??

Have a very merry and blessed Christmas, everyone. Enjoy the time spent with family and friends.

Getting Into the Christmas Spirit

As the days 'til Christmas are winding down, which is happening faster than I ever remember, we are definitely gearing up for the holiday at the day care center. We have themes for each week that go along with Christmas and include activities and crafts that incorporate the theme.

Last week was green week. We played with green goop (it may sound gross, but it's actually a lot of fun), painted Christmas trees green to hang on our winter slopes on the art wall, and looked for green things on our walks around the city, which included holiday displays in storefronts. This week was red week. We put red noses on our hand-and-feet reindeer, played with red goop, put red holly berries on the green trees we painted last week, and today Santa Claus comes to visit, which will close out red week on a high note, hopefully. Next week will be yellow week. I'm not sure what we'll be doing yet, so stay tuned.

I believe my Christmas shopping is all done. I just have to wrap the presents, which is my favorite part. I'm also in the middle of making one, which should be finished in a day or two. I'm just in need of a hot glue gun...anyone?

What Brings You Joy?

As part of the Advent season, the Mount community participated in a group lectio and reflection supper last night. One question posed was: what brings you joy? Seems easy enough, right? I can imagine some responses if you were to ask a few people I know. The answers might go a little something like this: snow days, playing X-Box, canceled classes, the end of the school year, money, etc. But let's look at the question again. What really brings joy to your life? Are there any experiences you are having right now that are joyful? Sometimes you have to look beneath the surface.

What brings joy to my life? Most importantly right now are my kids at the day care. I cannot express to you the enormous smile that must spread across my face when I walk into my classroom each morning and see several smiling, excited faces staring back at me, and inevitably, one or two stop what they are doing to run up to hug you. For all of the moments of frustration and defiance, and for all the tantrums, these little moments far outweigh any of that. In fact, they are anything but little. When you look forward to going to work each morning, when it doesn't feel much like work anymore, that is pure joy, at least for me.

The support I have of my family and several of my friends as I journey through this year also gives me great joy. You really need those special people in your life to be there cheering you on as you go through something that is indeed an adventure and very exciting and meaningful, but is not always the easiest thing to do. I have those special people, plus an extended family of almost 100 Sisters who are always here for support when things might not always go as planned, or when things get rough. It also brings me joy to return the favor and pay it forward.


So now I ask all of you out there: What brings YOU joy?

Getting Into the New Groove

It's been one week in my new classroom at St. Benedict Center, and things are looking pretty good. Our new teaching team seems to be meshing well, and our children are adjusting to the new routine and people just fine. We have 7 very headstrong little girls, and they all have their own individual, very big personalities. This makes for very funny meal time conversations.

We are, however, going to be welcoming another girl and one boy into our classroom very soon. Next week, I believe. That will bring our total to 9. I'm looking forward to the new additions. I'm anxious to see how they will fit in.

We're almost 4 months into the year, and through week 1 of Advent. It's crazy how fast time is going by. I'm still trying to find my balance between taking everything in, giving each part of this experience the attention it deserves, but also being on top of what needs to be done for work, classes, and homework. Yes folks, homework. And soon, preparation for grad school will need to be worked into there somehow. There's too much going on in my head some days. Sometimes I wish I could turn off my brain for a day...