"As a spouse, mother, and professional, I crave time that is
unscheduled and free of obligations and space away from the (beloved) people
and (important) tasks that constantly seek my attention. So I retreat
regularly: For the last several years I have taken a 24-hour silent retreat by
myself every 3-4 months.
I use the common phrase “taking a retreat” when I need to
tell others what I’m doing, but it sounds odd to me. Giving myself time to
listen is what I understand myself to be doing when I retreat. As a
nature-lover, I listen to the sounds of nature and I am refreshed. As a
God-lover, I listen for the still, small, but transformative voice of the Holy
Spirit, and I am renewed. And as I love myself by listening to my own spirit, I
become more centered. All of this listening helps me become more clear about
who I am (and who I am not), and thus more authentic in every realm of my life,
every relationship.
I find that retreating in silence/solitude several times a
year restores my sense of joy in the people and tasks that fill most of my
days--at least most of them, most of the time. When I find myself feeling a
persistent lack of joy, or outright dread, about re-engaging with someone or
something following a retreat time, I listen to that, too. Sometimes I realize
I need to alter my attitude, sometimes I become aware that I need to change my
way of engaging, and sometimes I realize that I simply must find ways to
disengage. Without regular retreats, I would trudge on joylessly, with less
clarity about what saps my joy and less energy to make the necessary changes.
Retreating from daily life gives me greater joy, peace, and strength to pour
into daily living."
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