On a Friday night, my parents kept bugging me on what I should bring to our class’ retreat the next day. I did not have the excitement of a teenager to eagerly prepare for the coming day. I was busy complying the 26 articles for the Blog project to be uploaded on a Wednesday. Catching a glimpse of the clock, it read 11:30 pm, and still I am awake. My eyes are so painful already and I want to sleep but there are so many things to worry about. I am a graduating student in high school and in a given short time I want to finish all the requirements the teachers are demanding for the clearance. I felt like screaming out all my frustrations. I am all stressed out. Should I still attend the retreat or should I utilize the time for working on my requirements? I did not know what to do. My parents still bugged me on packing this and that for the retreat. I guess that was it. I guess I should join the retreat to take the time off because lately I have been so busy doing this and that. I guess I should stop awhile and think of myself. Okay, I will join the retreat.
The next day I arrived at school at around 8 am with my mother who came along to help me carry my things. My classmates had already arrived bringing with them their things. A little while later, my mom went home and we were told to move to the classroom of IV- Tan. There we were told to answer a questionnaire on predicting outcomes of events that could possibly happen to teenagers like us. Afterwards, we were told to share our answers to our other classmates. Then, we had a briefing on what people do on a retreat.
The next thing we did was the part that I enjoyed best. It was called “Positive Stroking” I think. We were divided into two groups. The first group were told to form a circle and sit and close their eyes. The second group of students were told to whisper positive things about the person they are whispering to. While listening to people whisper all the positive things about me, I felt like crying, I was indeed very happy. It felt like my self- esteem boosted up so high. Then we loaded the jeepney and rode all the way to Banawa, Labangon where a major part of the retreat was to be conducted.
We arrived at around 2 pm. The place was marvellous! It felt like we were in Baguio. We were told to speak softly for it was a place where nuns and priests stay and pray. Then, we were showed to our rooms and relax for awhile. Afterwards, a series of lectures were made and the Adoration followed. The next part was that when we were told to form a circle and each were given candles for them to light and give to another who may have hurt him or to ask forgiveness for a sin he caused. It was a tearjerker. My classmates, most of them, cried out all the hurts and at last the wounds inflicted to the hearts were healed. It was already 11 pm when we went back to our rooms to sleep.
That night, I could not sleep. I wonder why, maybe because I was not used to sleeping on that place. There are times when I sleep but would only last for utmost ten minutes and I was back, awake again. It was like a routine that kept on going until 3 am in the morning. I then rose from the sleeping mat. I noticed that my three roommates were already awake too. I asked them if they had some sleep, their reply was that they have not sleep the whole night until now. To utilize the time, we took our bath and went outside at around 4 am to ask our teacher on what to do or prepare for breakfast. She said that we should go to the kitchen and boil water for everyone, and so we did it.
The kitchen was situated beside the rooms of the boys. I noticed they had their lights out until this 4 am. No one was up. Then, I noticed a boy step outside; it was a friend of mine. He asked us on whether we took our bath already and we replied yes and he said he’d take a bath too. We made our way to the kitchen and boiled water afterwards, many were soon up and began walking around. After a while, breakfast was served.
We had a bible sharing after and then a holy mass to officially end our retreat. It was a nice experience, I really learned a lot from it. I learned that we should not take or do anything with fast for it only makes us lose our intended point of direction which is success.
“In life’s race you run fast to finish first and get to success in a short time, but the more faster you run, the more you get lost.”##
The next day I arrived at school at around 8 am with my mother who came along to help me carry my things. My classmates had already arrived bringing with them their things. A little while later, my mom went home and we were told to move to the classroom of IV- Tan. There we were told to answer a questionnaire on predicting outcomes of events that could possibly happen to teenagers like us. Afterwards, we were told to share our answers to our other classmates. Then, we had a briefing on what people do on a retreat.
The next thing we did was the part that I enjoyed best. It was called “Positive Stroking” I think. We were divided into two groups. The first group were told to form a circle and sit and close their eyes. The second group of students were told to whisper positive things about the person they are whispering to. While listening to people whisper all the positive things about me, I felt like crying, I was indeed very happy. It felt like my self- esteem boosted up so high. Then we loaded the jeepney and rode all the way to Banawa, Labangon where a major part of the retreat was to be conducted.
We arrived at around 2 pm. The place was marvellous! It felt like we were in Baguio. We were told to speak softly for it was a place where nuns and priests stay and pray. Then, we were showed to our rooms and relax for awhile. Afterwards, a series of lectures were made and the Adoration followed. The next part was that when we were told to form a circle and each were given candles for them to light and give to another who may have hurt him or to ask forgiveness for a sin he caused. It was a tearjerker. My classmates, most of them, cried out all the hurts and at last the wounds inflicted to the hearts were healed. It was already 11 pm when we went back to our rooms to sleep.
That night, I could not sleep. I wonder why, maybe because I was not used to sleeping on that place. There are times when I sleep but would only last for utmost ten minutes and I was back, awake again. It was like a routine that kept on going until 3 am in the morning. I then rose from the sleeping mat. I noticed that my three roommates were already awake too. I asked them if they had some sleep, their reply was that they have not sleep the whole night until now. To utilize the time, we took our bath and went outside at around 4 am to ask our teacher on what to do or prepare for breakfast. She said that we should go to the kitchen and boil water for everyone, and so we did it.
The kitchen was situated beside the rooms of the boys. I noticed they had their lights out until this 4 am. No one was up. Then, I noticed a boy step outside; it was a friend of mine. He asked us on whether we took our bath already and we replied yes and he said he’d take a bath too. We made our way to the kitchen and boiled water afterwards, many were soon up and began walking around. After a while, breakfast was served.
We had a bible sharing after and then a holy mass to officially end our retreat. It was a nice experience, I really learned a lot from it. I learned that we should not take or do anything with fast for it only makes us lose our intended point of direction which is success.
“In life’s race you run fast to finish first and get to success in a short time, but the more faster you run, the more you get lost.”##
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