Walking with St. Thomas
When I left town for an inpromptu retreat after weeks of not having been alone for more than ten minutes, I was worn thin. These days, I'm adjusting to a new, expanded role at work and caring for more people than ever before. There is no good time to get away. But there were three days that my spouse wasn't working, and she said, "Yes, go," because she could see I wasn't myself. All of my adult life--even when I was living alone--I have gone on two retreats a year. I know myself well enough to know I can't be present, authentic, whole without doing so. I got out of the habit when I began my spiritual director program; those two years of monthly weekends felt like mini-retreats, with lots of space for breathing, even though they were structured in a way my earlier retreats had not been. Then Petalouda House, our family's work to welcome folks who don't have housing and support their emotional growth and practical skills, took off, and there was no g...