Instead I am in North Carolina this weekend with a quiet house and brilliant sunshine streaming in through the windows on a warm fall day.
So far this weekend, each time I start down the path of worry, anxiety, and self pity about not being with my friends this weekend, I am forcing myself to dive into my writing, prayer, Catholic fellowship, prayer, writing, and more prayer. So, needless to say a LOT of writing is getting done...Thursday was devoted to polishing up the drafts of my teaching philosophy, mission statement, and cover letter for a position I have discerned would be terrific for me. Fingers crossed I can get my application sent to one of my top picks by the middle of the month. Yesterday found me getting a significant portion of Ch. 5 of my dissertation drafted. So far today I've been able to participate in the pro-life rosary and get caught up with a grandfather-type friend from church. He provided words of wisdom and support as I shared with him some difficult decisions I had to make earlier this week. As we walked back to our cars, I smiled on the inside as he took the curb side of the sidewalk in a true gentlemanly gesture. Then, upon coming home, I was able to have a quick Skype chat with a beloved friend in Christ who has relocated to Colorado before getting back to work on writing. I look forward to going to mass with a new dear friend tomorrow morning. This sort of Catholic fellowship was sorely lacking in my "old" life while living in York in that I had to travel to Lititz, Harrisburg, or beyond for these sort of experiences and I'm so grateful to have this kind of opportunity down here in the south.
In spite of the overwhelming silence and turmoil of the past few days, friends (some as new as last week!) have reached out via text/email/phone calls and for that I'm truly grateful. One new friend's words have stuck with me over the last few days...she said, "Bloom where you are planted" and also wondered if I'm where I currently am because of God pruning me and working with me through my friendships (which reminded me of one of the fabulous talks we had at the conference last weekend). I'm familiar with both of these expressions she used but boy did they hit home for me this past week. As anyone will tell you, I left Pennsylvania kicking and screaming a few short years ago but looking back at the last three years at where I've been and where I am going, I am so grateful for the friendships and personal growth that have ensued as a result of this geographical change. Yes, I miss my friendships at home and my love for them has not changed. I hope they will still welcome me with open arms , as I do them, and we will make more cherished memories in the future. It's funny how we think we have it all figured out but really we don't. There is a reason why circumstance, events, and people come into our lives and we're all continual works in progress as we continue on the journey.
So, I'm going to put my head down and keep walking the race (since I'm not a runner..ha!), one step at a time....I am getting Chapter 5 written 1 paragraph (and 1 Youtube proposal video) at a time this weekend and 15 short weeks from today I will potentially be Dr. Meg...!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment