A love letter to the Berg

The following is a love letter to the place that has impacted me more than perhaps any other physical location on the planet, and I have been on quite a few continents.

The Bergamo Center is a Catholic Marianist lifelong learning center located on 100 acres in the middle of an otherwise bustling area. The nature preserve on the property host some of the most popular hiking trails. While here this past weekend, I took my trusty iPhone loaded with a photo editing app and found myself snapping away.

Through 12 years of Catholic education, I learned many things about God and Jesus and the religion in which I was raised. But as I've realized is the typical situation for most students in Catholic schools, religion is a class and faith has little to do with our rote answers written on tests. Retreat centers like this one give students the opportunity to grow and develop with Christ in an environment away from classroom pressures. It is on retreats where walls break down...

...where divisions crumble....

...where understanding and friendships can grow where differences once stood.

I began my relationship with Bergamo in high school as a participant in retreats sponsored by my school as well as the center itself. Continuing through college, I returned a few times a year to facilitate the very retreats that had moved me so much, longing to aid others in their own spiritual journey. And now I am here again, this time as a teacher, taking a back seat as a chaperon. This has been my most difficult role, not being an active participant in this process. But I realize that just as I needed the opportunity to grow, I must step back and allow the next generation to flourish.

And so I took my solo hike early in the morning to center myself, sitting on a mossy bench in the middle of the woods with only my thoughts and Pandora for company.

Hopefully in the midst of my ramblings, I'm leaving you with some inkling of the peace I continuously find here. 

 Biz,

Sarah

Inaugural Address

Hello and welcome! This lovely collection of thoughts, experiences, life lessons, and tidbits is a simultaneous adventure into the blogosphere. I'm a contributing writer to A Whole Pan of Brownies. So to the half dozen of you reading this bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of yet another form of social media.

This is me. And my dog.

Luna occupies the foot/most of my bed, snoring rather loudly. Obviously she's taken my lack of a significant other to heart and is valiantly attempting to fill that void. Thanks Lune.

These are the three important groups of people in my life.

My family, except a missing sister-in-law who was also bed ridden last holiday season. I was permitted to leave my quarantined childhood bedroom for the taking of this photograph as evidenced by Luna's surprise to see me amongst the living. 

The girls. Most affectionately known as the sexy six by our more liberal family members and previous/current bfs. Some of our friendships started as early as 1st grade and we continued to grow our group through high school resulting in the 6 best friends anyone could have.

The greatest people you will ever meet. Minus the sassy gay man and the hippy. These goofy, obnoxious mofos (excuse the language but twas necessary) have been my chosen family since before I can remember. The two ladies on either side of me in particular.

So these are my peoples. I love them and sometimes hate them but mostly they're pretty cool.


Biz,

Sarah