Friday, September 04, 2009

Time of Lasts

It is that point in summer where, in greeting the new day, after pushing the dreams of last night away, my mind starts and jumps to ponder the question: where have the last two months gone? After exploring, learning, and becoming part of Toronto’s community, this
season of my life has entered its closing time. It is time to start my words of “goodbye” and “see-ya-later”, my words of “I’m going to miss you” and “take care”. Yet, in all the beginnings of these ending thoughts, the fact remains that this group arriving for my period of “lasts” is experiencing its first immersion into Toronto. So, as this week goes by, I hope this group discovers where we as a society have pushed people to the margins, how to break down our stereotypes, how to embrace each other, how to become a part of each others stories, and simply how to serve and love simply. I pray that as all these life lessons challenge them and show how to live out their faith in their lives, I would take these same principles and learn to apply them to life back at university, finishing university and beyond. The things I’ve learned this summer have accumulated week after week, echoing and interconnecting with each other. But also each week, the different
people I’ve encountered and developed relationships with have begun to form a web of common places, experiences, passions and people. I am sad to be leaving the community built this summer, but, with every passing season of my life, I seem to stumble upon new beginnings that emerge out of other beginnings’ endings. So here’s to my last bit of
time in Toronto with CSM. I look forward to the things I’ll learn each new day, but also to where they are going to connect in my next season back home.

-Catherine Campbell, CSM Toronto Summer 2009 City Host

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