Retreats are one of the best tools to help realign one’s spiritual life. However, there are often many distracting thoughts that can pop up in one’s head during the talks. Men, have you ever wondered what goes through our heads during a women’s retreat? Ladies, have you ever felt that maybe you were the only ones with these thoughts? Go through the list and see which ones you agree with!
1. “Babies!”(Internally)
If you’re a single woman or someone whose children have reached early childhood, your baby radar will go off when there’s one within a 10-foot radius.
2. “Yes! Someone I know! I won’t be alone!”
This is usually said as your speed walk to greet/hug said person. The thought is immediately followed by the feeling of being back in school, on your very first day.
3. “I so want to high-five the speaker right now. Wait . . . is that even lady-like?”
Someone the speakers are just so on-point that you want to give them a high-five or, at least, pump your fist in the air.
4. “Yes! The speaker is talking about Our Blessed Mother (and other female saints)! Take that, ‘the Church is anti-women’ haters!”
At some point, the talk will feature an amazing insight on Our Blessed Mother and/or other inspiring female saints. At this point, you’ll wish you had a recorder to replay every time someone (erroneously) says the Church is “anti-women.”
5. “Aww, that cute baby just smiled at me! Wait . . . no! Focus on the talk . . .”
That cute baby a couple of pews or seats in front of you has decided you’re the most fascinating thing they’ve seen and they can’t stop smiling at you. It’s a trap! An adorable little distraction trap.
6. “Of course, the line for the bathroom is longer than usual. Typical.”
We should’ve seen this one coming yet… we are still always surprised to see just how long the line is. We don’t comment on it but, oh, we think it.
7. “My goodness, a room full of women singing and praying sounds like what I imagine it would sound like in heaven.”
Yes. It probably sounds like that—and no one is singing off-key!
8. “I wonder if the poor priest/male speaker feels awkward or outnumbered with so many women before him.”
He most likely doesn’t but you still wonder.
9. “I wonder if this is what it’s like in a women’s religious community.”
If your vocation isn’t the religious life, you start wondering if this is what it’s like to be in a community—and you may feel a pang of envy if the group is particularly great.
10. “I’m so grateful for my sisters in Christ!”
In the end, you’re grateful that you attended the retreat with a lovely group of women and are excited to see what fruitful gifts your fellow attendees will bring to the Church.
