I am grateful for God allowing me to make another trip around the sun!

Hoping you allow serenity to invade your being…

I pulled a couple of old notebooks out of my closet to use as journals for this class and found some writing in one of them that was from a silent retreat I was on more than a decade ago. I don't know the exact date but it appears to be from around 2012 as I write about my parents and obviously they were still alive at that time. Anyway, I thought I'd share one of the things I wrote. I have always wanted to, felt called to, pulled to, write my story. I've never taken the time to actually do it, but this is what I wrote on that retreat 14 years ago. The Story of Me I am the youngest of six children, 5 girls and 1 boy. Born to the most amazing parents, a living example of God's love and mercy. The church (Catholic) was our life. It was our education, our friends, our socializing, everything. At a very young age I felt the presence of God. His love, mercy, and compassion. Growing up with four older sisters certainly came with its challenges, but it was a gift as well. There was always someone to play with, talk to, fight with, cry with, and hug. We were best friends and mortal enemies, confidants and co-consipirators. We shared a room for most of our childhood, a bed, and always a bathroom. There was no escape! That's probably why I like living alone so much now. The two oldest, Ann and Barbara, went off to college while I was still pretty young so most of my time at home was without them. Ann got married when I was 8 and Barbara when I was 9. They both had their first born when I was 10, both boys. I loved being an aunt and they took advantage of that (in a good way). Saying "aunts change dirty diapers," etc. Being so young I was very close to my nephews and the rest of my neices and nephews that followed. Except most of my sister Cassie's kids, but that will come later. When I was 11, my world as I knew it changed forever. My favorite uncle, who was also a priest, was murdered. Two men robbed the rectory where he lived, killing him, his housekeeper, and a nun that was visiting. They were found stabbed downstairs and my uncle was found upstairs in his bedroom, shot in the back of his head.

Today I realized I needed to step back and take time for myself. The weather is making it the perfect day for tea, blanket and a good book!