The last day I spent in the US was also the best.
The only downside of Folly Beach had been the strong winds and strong rip at the beach. But on Wednesday, our last day there, the wind subsided and the rip diminished, making for perfect sunny conditions.
Matt started the day leading a prayer time on the pontoon, reflecting on how grounded we are when we feel the sand between our toes, compared to the rarefied life in Chicago. As we shared other prayers together our immanent separation was on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and we knew that the clock on the last 24 hours was ticking.
Todd and I had a last run together along the beach. Everyone came down to the beach for a while in the morning to enjoy the good conditions. I had a nap, read, and played some Nintendo Wii Rockband in the hot middle of the day.
I went for a walk with Thomas to have our last goodbye. I tried to make some intentional time with people to do these goodbyes so that it didn’t become all a blur on the last day and leave things unsaid. Ours has been quite an extraordinary friendship, bridging the age difference and unparalleled in each of our lives, and we gave voice to what each of us need to say. Though it may be, that to quote The Motorcycle Diaries, ours are lives that just ran parallel for a time, I hope, I intend that we will see each other again in the future.
We celebrated Wendy’s birthday and graduation. Alas we lit the candles on the cake too early and they burned down and kind of melted the icing, but it was good anyway.
Throughout the week Eric masterminded a competition in which we broke into 4 teams (named after the Hogwarts houses, complete with a sorting hat) who won and lost points for skill and virtue. Points were awarded for winning games, cooking meals, and taking the trash out. At the end of the week the winning team (us, Ravenclaw) could choose two players from the 3rd and 4th place teams to wrestle in the mud. Alas, there was no mud to be found. So instead, Eric and Eldon were chosen to sock wrestle on the beach. Eric was typically good sported about being chosen, and endured a painful exfoliation of his sunburn from the sand.
We celebrated Mass together. It was an extraordinarily powerful and intimate time of prayer. We shared reflections on the gospel – and a group of theology grad students had some fairly wonderful insights. Todd said, as Matt had before him, that he’s never been with a group of people who are so intentional about their prayer life and so willing to share together. We sang “Let us break bread together on our knees” and shared communion. We ended arm in arm praying blessings for one another. There was no more fitting way I could finish the week, and indeed the whole year in the US
The only downside of Folly Beach had been the strong winds and strong rip at the beach. But on Wednesday, our last day there, the wind subsided and the rip diminished, making for perfect sunny conditions.
Matt started the day leading a prayer time on the pontoon, reflecting on how grounded we are when we feel the sand between our toes, compared to the rarefied life in Chicago. As we shared other prayers together our immanent separation was on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and we knew that the clock on the last 24 hours was ticking.
Todd and I had a last run together along the beach. Everyone came down to the beach for a while in the morning to enjoy the good conditions. I had a nap, read, and played some Nintendo Wii Rockband in the hot middle of the day.
I went for a walk with Thomas to have our last goodbye. I tried to make some intentional time with people to do these goodbyes so that it didn’t become all a blur on the last day and leave things unsaid. Ours has been quite an extraordinary friendship, bridging the age difference and unparalleled in each of our lives, and we gave voice to what each of us need to say. Though it may be, that to quote The Motorcycle Diaries, ours are lives that just ran parallel for a time, I hope, I intend that we will see each other again in the future.
We celebrated Wendy’s birthday and graduation. Alas we lit the candles on the cake too early and they burned down and kind of melted the icing, but it was good anyway.
Throughout the week Eric masterminded a competition in which we broke into 4 teams (named after the Hogwarts houses, complete with a sorting hat) who won and lost points for skill and virtue. Points were awarded for winning games, cooking meals, and taking the trash out. At the end of the week the winning team (us, Ravenclaw) could choose two players from the 3rd and 4th place teams to wrestle in the mud. Alas, there was no mud to be found. So instead, Eric and Eldon were chosen to sock wrestle on the beach. Eric was typically good sported about being chosen, and endured a painful exfoliation of his sunburn from the sand.
We celebrated Mass together. It was an extraordinarily powerful and intimate time of prayer. We shared reflections on the gospel – and a group of theology grad students had some fairly wonderful insights. Todd said, as Matt had before him, that he’s never been with a group of people who are so intentional about their prayer life and so willing to share together. We sang “Let us break bread together on our knees” and shared communion. We ended arm in arm praying blessings for one another. There was no more fitting way I could finish the week, and indeed the whole year in the US
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