Together and By Association

well, after five days here i have finally figured out how to capitalize letters, however, it makes my pinky reach further than it is used to, giving me a pinky cramp. so i give up.

anyway, i just wanted to say that today, after this much time together, we have finally become one council. one group of people that has learned to live, work, create, celebrate, and be unified. our final work today was to listen to brother william speak to us about lasallian spirituality. he was able to explain in a very inclusive way the spirituality embedded within the lasallian tradition. i am sure that i could go on for quite a long time with more details, but i wont for now. i just know that things have finally been clarified for me in a way i really appreciate and i am just so excited to have brother william as our president. after he spoke both councils were able to articulate our next steps, our questions, and those things that we would like to leave behind us when we leave rome.

basically, this experience has shaped us and helped us to focus on those things that we share, and especially appreciate the relationships that we have cultivated.

as i say goodbye to rome, which will be in a few short hours, i say hello to many, many things that bring me hope.

before i go to dinner i must say, i will not miss the front desk clerks smoking in our hotel lobby, but i will miss taking coffee breaks for half an hour each day at ten thirty, which apparently all romans do. i will not miss having to read web pages in italian, but i will miss listening to people speak. i will not miss having to put on a jacket just to walk down the freezing cold hallways, but i will miss opening my window for some fresh air.

i dont want to be late for dinner at 8, but i will say that i have especially enjoyed writing to you all. i will miss this touchstone, dear friends of mine, especially since it is not everyday that i get to touch base with all of you at once. so goodnight dear winona, twin cities, and beyond, and hello to you all on monday.

sarah