I have this notion that life inside the monastery is routinary and somewhat boring. One has to wake up early in the morning and pray every hour. There is no social affairs other than the daily mass. There's a minimal chance of meeting interesting people and no chance of engaging in exciting activities. I also have this feeling that women who entered the monastery are either heart broken (at some point in their lives) or were influenced by parents to go in.
Last weekend Auntie Grace, Papa's sister who is a Carmelite nun from Davao, proved me wrong. She showed me a glimpse of her life and i had a chance to mingle with other nuns too. I have to admit that their life is quite interesting.She was in town for a retreat and stayed for a few days to meet us. Last friday night, we went shopping for "pasalubongs" and has dinner at Baliblends Cafe with an acoustic band as our background music. She told me how important it is to pray regularly and explained the merits of having a close relationship with God. We also talked about boys...yes boys! She even checked out handsome men passing by.
The following day, i also met another nun from Carmelite Zamboanga. I forgot her name but i haven't forgotten her giggles and excitement when we boarded LRT 2! It was their first time! On our way to Tayuman to buy religious souvenirs, Auntie Grace told me the different places she has been to, her experience horseback riding, the many kind people she met and their new swimming pool in their monastery. They do wear swimsuits while swimming!
Back at the tertiary house, she showed me their photos. She was dressed as Zorro in one - she borrowed the sword from one of the saints! There's another one where she portrayed Goldilocks, again borrowing the hair from one of the saints!
My time with her taught me that life in the monastery can be exciting too. I saw it in her eyes how happy she is in her chosen life...a life filled with prayers, fun, more prayers and excitement!
10 comments:
you have a very cool auntie, and she's a nun! very cool of her to admit she borrowed the sword from one of the saints and the goldilocks hair? hehe, i thought it was funny. :)
baka sign na yan ng true calling mo. hehehe
Zherwin, cool talaga yun...nagulat ako nung magmadre sya kasi sobrang kikay at loka loka para magmadre...calling nya talaga!
subs_tance, calling? ako? madre?...san sa pink sisters? :)
don't tell me you're planning to enter the monastery hehehe okay lang kung ang magiging kapalaran mo ay parang kay Maria sa Sound of Music :)
Seriously imagine that! ako nga di pa nakasakay ng kabayo lolz :)
Don't tell me that you find sisterhood appealing... :-D
verns, hehehe...tapos may mami-meet akong ala Bontrap (tama ba?!) at ganun din kadami anak!...then there's also war...kung sa Philippines yun mala-Abu Sayaf!...ayaw ko! nakakapagod ang magtago ng magtago! hehehe
sngl, not really im just happy that my aunt is happy with her life...ayaw ko dun baka maging r & b ang mga christian songs na latin...at baka maging pink ang mga cheeks ng sisters kapag nagsisimba! hehehe
Wow! I thought that's what nuns did as well :) Just goes to show we all are really the same no matter what we do :) I once thought of being a nun...it seems like such a carefree life :)
-Amy
Hi Amy, i agree with you we are all the same no matter what we do...all of us seek happiness, contentment and fun. That's what we really want from life. :)
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