June 25, 2019 11:25 AM PDT
SOtEM gave me a way to pursue my vocation and has been a real refuge for me. However, monk life is for those who like to stay busier than you'd think. My day starts about 4am because I do and the first thing is rounds and morning medicines. Then it is breakfast for everybody around and the easiest of that is the hummingbird feeders. After breakfast all the plants need watered before it gets hot and then medicines can be made or food put up, wine, cheese, chocolate, whatever. Once all the day is started, personal studies and works take up half of the rest of the day until evening, when its around with medicines and meals again. For being "set aside" and "withdrawn" we are immensely busy people? Either chasing our fascination or serving his. If you thought it was sit, eat and talk a lot......think twice about monasticism or kung fu school. And we have both.
But when life is not offering much, we can still offer life to ourselves and more. It really is a wonderful way to live and learning never stops.
