Closing

So here I write, about five months after the end of my year of service. I was asked to give a short presentation at a Colorado Springs community feast, so I thought I'd use this space to reflect and also bring closure to the blog (though it will always be open as a resource for other youth wanting to go on a year of service).

Perhaps the greatest lessons I learned had to do with social skills and learning to live and work in unity with others. When I find myself in disagreement with others, I've learned to just take a deep breath and let it go. Let it go, be detached, those are the phrases I've had in my head the last few weeks. If we allow ourselves to be beaten down by all the sour things in life, we're in for one helluva bruising. I've found that I'm stronger then I think I am, with a long way to go of course. The words and actions of others can be hurtful, but you can't change what has already happened, only how you handle it.

I've also learned about trust, trust in the Creator, trust in the power of prayer, and trusting that things will generally be alright.Our actions determine the success of an endeavor, but prayers are like a little wind in the sails. Prayers bring confirmations and remind us that we don't have to do anything completely alone.

This semester, I've had the full range of emotions from joy to discouragement. The college culture is alcohol and drug-centric, and I sometimes feel I'm living in upside down world. But the important thing is not to be disillusioned, to remember all humans are created noble and to continue to search for the spiritual food for which the entire world is hungry. I have perhaps most importantly realized upon my return that a "year of service" is just a term, that the journey I have been embarking on is in fact one of a life of service. And the things I've learned this semester, both in school and in the local community, have been equally as life changing. I'm certainly not the same person I was in January 2011, or January 2012. We are always changing, always growing....