Women on Retreat

Today I returned from a weekend retreat with seven other women from my church. I’m finding it a bit difficult to come back down from this experience. We have been going on these retreats for over 20 years. I haven’t missed a single one--this is something that I do for myself. Every year is different depending on who goes, the location, and the program. As always, this weekend I enjoyed the company, the lovely spot, the food, the inspiring program, and, of course, the chocolate (there is always chocolate). This year our group was a bit smaller than usual. The youngest was 28, pregnant, and the daughter of one of the other women. The oldest was 84 and a retired pastor. The rest of us were all in our 50s and 60s. We all have known each other for a number of years and we're comfortable with each other. I am always amazed what comes out of our retreats. There is power in a group of women who share their lives and their faiths. We always have quiet time where we work alone on our journals, read, or pray. Then we come back together for worship and singing (hopefully on key). However, we’re not serious all of the time. Perhaps one of my favorite parts is the laughter we share about anything and everything. Not something men would probably understand (well, sometimes it’s about them). This is such a special time together. I will be back next year.