Retreatant satisfies needs through writing and art work
A retreat affects people in many ways. It is a time to reflect on your past, and meditate on your present and future.
Many thoughts go through your mind during this experience. Some people enjoy the lectures by the priests the best. some value the quietness and serenity of the surroundings, while others may enjoy the many tapes, books and visual aids in the library. Every person expresses their feelings in many different ways. I found that spending quiet time alone, and sketching various views of Manresa and the surrounding grounds was very relaxing and satisfying for me. The odd thing is that I have never tried to sketch before and I have very little talent in this field. When our son David died of cancer in 1992, I found that writing down my thoughts worked like a safety valve for me, releasing my grief. I wrote many articles and even a poem on how I felt about him. I continued writing these for exactly one year, and then I stopped. I guess my need was satisfied. Again, like my Manresa sketches, I had never written articles before or since, and have no special writing talent. Sometimes there appears to be no reason or explanation for what we do or why we do it, but somehow it seems to satisfy a need. 