Beware the Ides of March

Now that I am averaging once a month updates, I will attempt to reduce March to a brief summary. It was a month of transition; I came out of the difficulties and painfulness only to be greeted by a whirlwind of activity and change. My parents visited, and seeing them did me an enormous amount of good. There's something about surrounding yourself with people who know the real you that can be so comforting and liberating, and this was no different. We went to the world-reknowned Philadelphia Flower Show; we went to a restaurant that had an incredible beer selection, and pretty great food; Maureen and my parents finally met after hearing so much about each other. My only regret is that we did not spend as much time together as I would have liked-another event came up that same weekend that some of the Inn staff were expected to go to, so I missed out on some quality time. The same day they left, we departed as well for our spring retreat.

Retreat was not quite the panacea I was hoping for it to be. I was expecting instant peace the minute we reached Mt. Irenaeus, since I had been having such a hard time finding it in Philly. Instead I was disappointed in that things-don't-always-turn-out-the-way-you-expect sort of way. I did manage to catch up on desperately needed sleep, which meant a sacrifice of prayer and personal reflection time. While I was there, though, I found out about an incredible opporunity for the year following my departure from Philly. The friars at the Mountain (http://www.mounti.com) are looking for interns for the upcoming school year to join in their life and ministry. I could live at the Mountain and work with students at St. Bonaventure University, as well as take some classes. At first I was hesitant, as I am about most ideas new and different that would turn my life topsy turvy, but I have gotten really excited about this as a possibility. The only drawback, I think, is that it would be another year even further removed from friends and family. The place is truly in the middle of nowhere. I still have to give this some more thought and prayer, but it seems to be the best option I have stumbled upon for next year.

In other news, our number of visitors has increased. Casey finally got a chance to visit, and it was great to see him and have him experience the Inn, which he has been hearing so much about for so long. Katelyn has been having a few visitors, including her aunt and uncle and a friend from college. It's been fun sharing our lives with them!

I made it home for about 56 hours during the few days before Easter. It was everything retreat was not for me. I relaxed and spent real quality time with my family. I even did absolutely nothing for a little while, and didn't feel in the least bit guilty. I felt more "me" than I had in a while. It was so good for me, and I was very reluctant to leave. It was also one of the first times I've ever felt like a visitor in my own house. My room was the same as I left it, with piles of my stuff everywhere; nothing had changed. It must have been the fact that I had been away for so long that it didn't feel like returning home. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, since it is just another indicator of the fact that I am growing up and starting a life that is taking me away from home base. I was sad to miss out on the Holy Week liturgies, but it was worth it to be able to sleep in my own bed for a couple of nights. I was back to Philly in time for Easter Vigil and to help plan the Easter morning prayer service. Our numbers of guests were higher towards the end of March, but Easter morning was the most crowded I have ever seen the Inn. The final number was 483 people. The yard overflowed onto the sidewalk. Families came from far and wide to get Easter baskets for their kids. The senior line was roughly a mile long. Maureen was lining people up and did an excellent job of keeping her cool. I would probably have cried about halfway through had it been me, considering we were still seating people at 1:30, even though we stopped handing out tickets at 1 pm.

Updates on more recent events shall be posted soon; hopefully this will tide you over until I get around to them. Part of the setback in March was my lack of a computer. The power cord to my laptop decided to cease functioning, leaving me with a dead battery and a very full e-mail inbox. It will soon be time for a new laptop, since mine continues to send me threatening messages along the lines of "The end is near." I am trying to save my pennies so I can have a new one when I return to the world of attending classes, so if anyone has any advice about good brands or important features, I would be happy to receive it! My computer knowledge is only slightly more extensive than my knowledge of professional sports which, as those of you who know me already realize, is practically nil.

I hope all is well with you, wherever you may be!