As my last few hours wound down, I spent more time in the company of others. Silent company, but community nevertheless. I took my knitting to the common area after packing up my room and changing the sheets to begin to reaclimatize.
After lunch, I said goodbye to my friend, thanking him for being the bridge that got me to the Hermitage. And finally, hoping that one day I would be back, I loaded my suitcase into my car and drove up the gravel driveway to the main road.
There are some things I left at The Hermitage, however regretfully. Silence. Daily services. Homemade bread made by somebody else. A trustworthy library.
There are other things I took with me. A return to prayer. A reading list. Peace of mind. Acceptance that my two year search for a religious community hadn’t resulted in a church home. Hope about a return to a level of religiosity that would feel more normal after my summer “away.” The knowledge that God loves me.
Now I had to take what I’d learned, and what I’d decided, and make it a part of my everyday life.
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