Greetings from Nags Head, NC! I had hoped to offer you a "beach blog" and have had the good fortune of finding a bagel shop with free wi-fi. It’s only Tuesday and already I’m feeling the burn. It’s not the worst sunburn of my life, just a medium rare. It’s funny how I forget every single year that the sun on the water is a bit stronger than Bristow poolside. But, Sister Gail came to my rescue with soothing cream and serious sun block for my next adventure in the ocean.
Here’s what I like about being a nun at the beach… For starters, I care very little how I might appear in my suit. As I watch the women stroll the water’s edge – carefully adjusting straps and elastic to properly conceal and reveal all at the same time - I am grateful for this healthy body in all its middle-aged glory.
I like to read on the beach, but I really love to listen to the waves and watch the light bounce on the water. The further along I go on this GOD-quest, the more the world seems to sing a love song to me – a sweet refrain of cosmic blessing. I wonder about this GOD who made the millions of grains of sand and marvel at the huge hermit crab (who scares me more than I want to admit,) burrowing beneath the sunbathers under the next umbrella. It all seems a miracle to me.
I like eating when I’m hungry and sleeping when I’m tired. I like praying when the Spirit invites me and napping in the middle of the afternoon. I like seeing my sisters “at ease” in shorts and summer shifts. I like cooking our dinners and the table conversation that mixes memories with dreams for our future.
Basically, I like everything about being a nun at the beach. I think the very best part is the feeling that surfaces around Friday or Saturday when my consciousness remembers that this week must come to an end. It’s the feeling of going home – back to the structure and balance of monastic life. It’s the joy of knowing that I will love the next 51 weeks even more than week 52.
More when vacation is over…blessings and love,
- Sister Vicki
Here’s what I like about being a nun at the beach… For starters, I care very little how I might appear in my suit. As I watch the women stroll the water’s edge – carefully adjusting straps and elastic to properly conceal and reveal all at the same time - I am grateful for this healthy body in all its middle-aged glory.
I like to read on the beach, but I really love to listen to the waves and watch the light bounce on the water. The further along I go on this GOD-quest, the more the world seems to sing a love song to me – a sweet refrain of cosmic blessing. I wonder about this GOD who made the millions of grains of sand and marvel at the huge hermit crab (who scares me more than I want to admit,) burrowing beneath the sunbathers under the next umbrella. It all seems a miracle to me.
I like eating when I’m hungry and sleeping when I’m tired. I like praying when the Spirit invites me and napping in the middle of the afternoon. I like seeing my sisters “at ease” in shorts and summer shifts. I like cooking our dinners and the table conversation that mixes memories with dreams for our future.
Basically, I like everything about being a nun at the beach. I think the very best part is the feeling that surfaces around Friday or Saturday when my consciousness remembers that this week must come to an end. It’s the feeling of going home – back to the structure and balance of monastic life. It’s the joy of knowing that I will love the next 51 weeks even more than week 52.
More when vacation is over…blessings and love,
- Sister Vicki
