WORD.

You know what I find really crazy? How just a few days in average, everyday life can completely change my world. Like, really, y'all. For reals, for reals.

So this weekend I staffed a confirmation retreat for a group of Juniors in high school. I've done plenty of these over the course of this past year since I'm on the retreat team at my parish. No BD, right?

Wrong. So VERY wrong. My life was rocked, big time.

I learned many things.

One. I need to start being a real woman. Seriously. I was so inspired by the men that I staffed with. They were the real deal. They gave me so much hope, hope that I was running really short on. They showed me what a Christ-like man really is. I was reflecting yesterday on this about how I can help more men to be this way and I realized all of a sudden that we women need to be Christ-like for them. These men taught me all of this and you want to know what the best part was? They changed me, and they have no idea. So if any of you men read this, thank you. You called me on, big time.

Two. My sisters. I need my flipping sisters so much more than I ever realized. The women (the staffers AND the retreatants) totally inspired my heart. I got to spend a lot of time with women at this retreat, and it was so FIYA AWESOME. We laughed a lot, and even cried a little, and it was incredible. I realized that I need all of my female friendships to be like that. One retreatant in particular totally stood up for the rest of the girls during one of the girls sessions. It really spoke to me that we girls need to stick together instead of being the catty little girls we sometimes are. So great.

Three. I need more laughter in my life. It seems obvious, right? This weekend we were all unafraid to be silly. We had impromptu dance parties, an EPIC bonfire sing-a-long, and random clumsy moments (I seem to recall a spilled glass of orange juice) :). And, get this, none of us were embarrassed to be who we were. It was something I haven't experienced in a long time. It invigorated me.

All in all, when it was all over, I couldn't stop smiling. Who knew that an ordinary weekend could turn into something so extraordinary.

I hope you all have an amazing week.

Deux