5 Years Ago Today

Today I drove down to Portland from my home at groovy sister hq in Bellevue. Five years ago today I drove home to Portland from my first ever trip to groovy sister hq, otherwise known as St. Mary-on-the-Lake, the western headquarters of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

The occasion? A vocation retreat. My first foray into the world of religious life. My mission? To see if a) people still did this type of thing and b) if I could ever find a community where I'd feel at home. My journal entry from 5 years ago gives you some idea of what happened and why I am where I am today:

This weekend went better than I could have imagined. I felt welcomed and at home. All the sisters I met were amazing, from the retired sisters in the dining room (cute, fiesty ladies) to the younger more active sisters. I could see the possibility, the very real possibility of being a member of that community. Their charism of seeking peace through justice is so ... well ... me! And I sense that from that base and with that support, God and I could do great things. I really can see it, not as reality but as a possibility. On the drive home it struck me that I really must have felt at home, because I was not shy or introverted. Not for me anyway. I felt I was amongst kindred spirits. I laughed. I smiled - both on my face and in my heart. My face even hurts a bit from smiling.

I decided to get to know the community better. Drove up for community days and celebrations. And the rest, as they say, is history. The smile is still there, on my face and in my heart. It took me a while to admit what I think I knew that first day ... that this was home. That with this community I am best able to be the me God dreams I can be. We pray together, play together, and work together to bring about God's reign of justice and peace. I am very blessed (and very grateful) to be a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace!