The lake lures me to pray

Lake Michigan in winter (Dreamstime/CarlosStudios/Deanna L. Kelly)
Lake Michigan in winter (Dreamstime/CarlosStudios/Deanna L. Kelly)

by Ellen Dauwer

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When I entered religious life almost 40 years ago, living singly was not one of my expectations. Having grown up in a family that taught me to share, persuade and compromise, I had a bit of a head start adjusting to community life and have grown to love and value it deeply.

When I was a child and adolescent, my parents would call an occasional "family meeting" when the daily tensions of life mounted in our home. We each found a seat as well as a voice and were required to stay in the conversation until the issues at hand were resolved. In the democratic process, we each had a vote (including my parents), but plenty of persuasion was needed, as we were an even number. Perhaps this early experience helped me survive convent "house meetings"!

Read the full story at Global Sisters Report.

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