Changing of the Seasons

As an FVM, and now the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry Promoter, the end of summer and start of fall has been marked by one event. Opening retreat. Even though the thermometers and oppressive humidity don't agree, vacation is officially over once the FVM's make their journey to a retreat house in mid-August.

As an incoming FVM, I understood that my life would be changed quickly when my calendar noted retreat was coming. The excitement and nervousness that comes with the beginning of a new volunteer year is indescribable.

During my year of college in between FVM years, once I saw the Facebook notification that retreat was underway, I knew college and soccer pre-season was right around the corner. During that period, I wished I was heading to retreat, not double-sessions on 100 degree artificial turf.

Now, as the new FVM Promoter, the coming of retreat brings a new excitement, but again, the knowledge that another summer has come and gone. This by no means is a bad thing however. It is a feeling similar to New Year's Eve. We celebrate the year that just ended with a celebration of the year to come. That is retreat.

The band Semisonic has a song called "Closing Time" with the lyrics, "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..." Summer's beginning has ended, now we begin the '09-10 FVM year!