I found this most excellent quote on a triathlon blog I check every so often. Triathlon, you say? I’m doing my very first triathlon in August. I’ve never really been a competitive person (though when engaged in a game I do tend to give folks a run for their money) nor have I spent much time on anything other than cycling. I always thought a triathlon was well beyond me, especially considering that I never learned how to swim (my mom had to save me from drowning at a YMCA lesson when I was little). I happened to see a women’s triathlon on TV and thought, you know, I think I can do it. Not for speed or to compete against others, but just to finish and more importantly to engage in the very spiritual, ascetic discipline of training the body, spirit, and mind. Anyway, back to the quote. So I was reading this blog and saw this quote:
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
~ George Eliot
Something about this quote rang true for me in terms of doing the triathlon in particular, but also in terms of life in general. It reminded me of one of my most favorite quotes: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) Now I’m not talking about the impossible here. I always wanted to be an astronaut but it ain’t going to happen. But that shouldn’t keep me from learning about the planets and stars and universe. I think we all have dreams for our lives, some of which are actualized, and others fade into the distance. Sometimes it may feel like bits and pieces of ourselves that we can’t recover. But I think we can, provided we are willing to allow those dreams to meet us where we are at and willing to allow our own dreams to transform us.
Interestingly, my friend Bill has been considering similar things on his blog A Dying Man’s Daily Journal. Do visit Bill and read his post Creating Ourselves.
So my questions for you today are these: what is something that you’ve dreamed about or some part of you that you feel like you’ve lost? how might you recover it in your life today? how might this help you be more of yourself?
"She wrote the way she lived: on the fly, without retrospect, always on the way, climbing higher."
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That is so cool, doing a triathlon! Let’s see. I dream of taking a little van/RV and traveling around the country (U.S.) for months.
Sister,
I admire your tenacious spirit! Good luck on the triathalon.
As to your question, I would say that I miss my time alone in life. It sounds odd. I am an only child, making the transition to married life and life with children was hard for me because I lost my time alone. To think, to be, to grow.
I know I will have it soon enough in my life. I don’t wish it to come earlier than it will.
OH! Good luck! My sister-in-law does marathons and I just am in awe! Wow… Brightest Blessings! May you find delight in the experience and finish satisfied with your effort!
Well, I DID my lost dream in life. I graduated college - with style I might add
3 majors (top 4% of the class) Religious Studies, medieval studies and History. The girl who graduated with a 1.51 (one doesn’t graduate with a 1.50) from high school became the woman who graduated in the top 4% of her class. If you had told me this in high school, I would have LAUGHED at you. Rolling-on-the-floor-gasping-for-air laughed in your face… However, now… I love being a good student and am intensely satisfied with what I have done.
My next dream is to travel overseas and specifically to Great Britain. I want to walk through Bede’s countryside and smell the heather on the Yorkshire moors like Dickon, Mary and Colin. I have a tremendous pull to go overseas and I have seen a different and positive light in the eyes of those I know who have gone to different countries. Just a different, and I think better, perspective on humanity and the world around us. That will happen by 2010 (or that’s the theory, anyway).
Oh… and I would love to win the lottery… I doubt that I will win. But since you asked, I might as well put my two-cents worth in… LOLOLOL
I love the fact that you make me think. As I have been writing this post, I have been trying to think of some dream that I had just left for lost. And other than those which have passed by Finding a genie in a bottle is the only way I will ever dance with Baryshnikov), I can’t think of any. I will have to ponder that. Thank you for making me think
Hi Sister…
I read your post this morning and it has been on my mind ever since and has brought me into some good thoughts with myself for sure. What I realize is that I have been fortunate in my life to have many of my dreams “come true”. For instance, it was always important to me to get a degree…but I did not have the means to do that right away after graduating high school…I finally achieved my BS when I was 39 - it truly never is too late! I am always inspired by stories of people in their later years - 70s, 80s and beyond - for instance, “Granny D” comes to mind http://www.grannyd.com/
There isn’t anything we can’t do if we only believe in ourselves.
So, I thank you for the wonderful journaling material today as I ponder the questions…and wish you all the best in the triatholon - you must keep us posted as it all unfolds!
Melissa
I dreamed I would be a religious sister… well I can’t say I always wanted it. I always figured I’d be married with 2 or 3 kids. In fact, I never thought about religious life until somehow I ended up in the middle of it. Then I found this me I had never found anywhere else in life… a me I loved and could have never imagined. A me that had all this energy and mission. A me that felt more inspired by the Spirit than ever and willing to go where ever the Spirit was leading me with so much trust I never knew I had. A place I totally fit. Then I lost it when I left religious life. I guess I’m not sure if I feel like it’s possible to be a religious sister now. I think I dream yet hope somehow it’s wrong… but somehow I know deep down it fits at my very core. I’m probably talking in circles!
I guess I’m not sure if religious life is meant to be something new. Like maybe I’m not called to what religious life is today as I saw it anyway. But maybe God is calling me to something new.
I’m not sure how to recover it so to speak. It’s just been such a frustrating journey. I’m hoping God shows me the way if it truly is right. I can’t say religious life is what I want because my whole life “normal” was having a family and kids… yet I think religious life is.
I have other goals in life as far as career and such. I’ve had so many dreams come true of having an awesome education and an awesome family. But I guess my dream is to find the place I fit… where ever that is.
Good luck on your triathalon!
I, too, have accomplished a goal I set after I graduated from nursing school which was to graduate from college. When I told my husband I was going to work on a degree in gerontology (at age 43) he told me (in jest) that I would be in the forefront of my field. I graduated from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in 1994 from their WED program (Womens External Degree Program). And now at 60 I am a “young geriatric” working to maintain my dignity. Some days I am more successful than others. Would not have missed the experience for the world!!!!!
My BEST WISHES on your triathalon!!!
Maybe this is out of place, but, Ex Candidate, if you are that strongly pulled to the Religious Life… then find a place that fits your vision. There has to be a place that is willing to help you work through the abuse that happened to you and allow you to grow as the Religious you are drawn to be. If it’s pulling that hard, you need to follow it.
Brightest Blessings!
Sister Julie, Good for you! Like others have said I admire your spirit and wish you every success. My dream come true is my blog. I’m not computer literate, have no third level qualifications, write poetry but was frustrated at the lack of outlet. Then I discovered blogging in which I can share what I write and do what I want to do which is praise God and bear witness to my faith in a creative and positive way by using the gift He has given me. When I started I had to call on my children every time I wanted to post something new but slowly I learnt to do things for myself and of course I’m still learning. Thanks for your sharing, and God bless and the luck of the Irish to you on the big day!
Thank you for all the wonderful words of encouagement and reflection.
Martha … My prayers are with you that solitude will find you every now and then. Solitude can be a wonderful gift, terrifying to some, but heaven to others!
RhC … Well, the lottery is one of those dreams that is a little out of our control!
But it’s worth putting out there, eh?! Congrats on your education. What a wonderful feeling, especially to excel at something that earlier you had not. That’s one thing I love about doing this triathlon is that I couldn’t swim before January 2007. Float to save my life? Yes. Swim on my own for more that a few yards? Not so much. It pleases me greatly to have gone beyond what I could do. Love your description of your dreams for traveling to Great Britain. I was there for a couple weeks and your comment reminded me of some of the wonderful sights and smells and sounds!
Melissa … It is so nice to feel the joy in your writing. It’s a good feeling to be able to work toward your dreams (however much time and work it might take) and see it come to fruition!
Ex Candidate … Hang in there, girl. Take some time to rest in your relationship with God. Put the religious life question (and any other major non-emergency life questions) on hold and just spend some time with God. Allow yourself to be embraced by God. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) As important as the religious life question is, what is so much more important is your relationship with God and finding that place within yourself where you felt so alive and filled with the Spirit. That is the place out of which you want to then relook at the question of religious life, the question of your life. Please know that I am praying with you as are many who visit this blog. Feel free to email me anytime if you’d like.
Cathy … that is so awesome! So glad to hear that you saw what you wanted and got there. But, as implied in your comment, once we “get there” it is only the beginning! Then you’ve got to take the gift you received and make it a gift to others. Keep on going!
Ann … Congrats on learning the ways of the computer and blogging to boot! That is truly a great accomplishment and it is also a gift to others who can now experience your gift of poetry.
I am excited for you getting prepared for a triathlon! I accomplished my first 5k this year - came in last, but hey, I finished! working on improving my time a little at a time. One day, maybe a triathlon! Look forward to hearing your progress.
I mean, how many nuns out there are doing triathlons! That could make big news!
Congrats taking on your first Tri! I did my first one a month ago and loved it.
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