Life Lessons and CNY

Gaye's challenge this week is to write about a life lesson. Her blog was fantastic, so I have hesitated to even do this. I then read Amy's blog about this weekend at CNY and that was fantastic, too. Maybe my life lesson is that I can write a piece that won't be as wonderful as the two I've read, but it is mine! So here goes...

The much anticipated CNY8 retreat is over. There is so much build up before the event. It lasts 3-4 days depending on when people arrive. Then it's over and that is a let down.

My retreat starts on Thursday with people coming to my house for dinner. This year my dear friend Sharon arrived at 1:30. Our beautiful granddaughter was here so Sharon got to play with Anna before anyone else arrived. Eventually the house was filled with 17 talking, laughing, happy women. Some are old friends while a few were new to the group. No one would ever know who had never been here before. Of course I stress about having people at my house hoping it is clean enough, nice enough, and the food is good enough. But when it is over, I look back and all I see in my mind's eye is how much they all enjoyed themselves and each other.

Friday is the official first day of the retreat and it lasts until late Sunday afternoon. This time thirty-eight women gathered together to scrap their life. Some got 60 pages done, some got no pages done. But everyone finds friendship.

It still amazes me, after attending many retreats, that this many women can come together for a weekend and find so much joy, laughter, love, friendship, and happiness. Those who are "newbies" fit right in like they've been there since the first retreat four years ago. Everyone goes home a little more mentally healthy than when they arrived.

My life lesson? People are amazing. There is so much good and sometimes we overlook that because there is so much bad. Bad is louder than good. This is my life lesson from the CNY8 retreat.