Importance of Relationships

 Angela Merici believed in the importance of sisterly relationships.  She gathered a circle of women who centered their lives on God and promised to support one another in their good works.   

This past week, I gathered with 8 other women who graduated from the College of New Rochelle with me 30 years ago.  We traveled to Bailey Island, Maine and spent time together talking, laughing, enjoying delicious lobster, looking out at the beautiful ocean, listening to the crashing waves against the water and simply being together.  It was such a grace-filled experience.  

We shared about our lives-the good and the bad. Every one of us has had challenges but we have gotten thru them and are now looking at how we will live our lives going forward. What is emerging in each of us?  We cannot live stagnant lives and stay stuck in our pain-we have to find the joyful moments and treasure them.  

Many of us have been talking on Zoom each Saturday morning at 8am since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.  It was great not to be on a screen but in person.  Our talks with one another are always filled with complete openness and non-judgmental while still being truthful even when it is not pretty.  

Some of the women are artists and shared their art projects with us so I came home with some beautiful dishes, candle holders and figurines.    We also received funny gifts from some of our members as we are in midlife now and experiencing the changes that go with that.

Angela knew the importance of gathering and having women be together to share life!  I hope she knows that gathering is still going on with those touched by her spirit.  All of us learned of her spirit thru the Ursuline Sisters at the College of New Rochelle.  We will continue to gather and live out her legacy.    Our friendship of 34 years has taught us that we need others in our life to be with us in joy and pain.  We have to help each other to grow and be the best person one can be!

As the famous line goes from Winnie the Pooh-We didn't know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun!

Fun is what we had in college and what we had together this past week-This fun provides memories of the heart for our life-giving relationships!!

Jeannie