Retreat in El Quisco

Spent last weekend at the beach with Padre Mike at the retreat house in El Quisco. El Quisco is a little town that is located a bit south of Valparaiso on the Pacific coast of Chile. It was a wonderful opportunity to rest and relax and just to take advantage of a little time off after the hectic weeks that preceded with fiestas Patrias and my birthday. The highlights of the weekend would be the great conversations that we had and the time that was spent simply reflecting and reading, all the while being serenaded by the crashing waves coming off the coast.
The time there was great to be able to recharge my batteries and just to be able to take a moment to reflect on what I am doing here and the experiences that have occurred. I marked, during my time there, the medicinal attributes of water and how that just the sound of crashing waves causes you to simply to get lost in your own thoughts and reflections. It is interesting that the tumulus sounds of crashing waves allows one to relax, but the drone of everyday life causes one to get lost. It is something that is all too common today, especially for my generation, that our lives are just filled with noise. In our current society of texting, surfing, non-stop music and television we are encouraged to become addicted to entertainment. We want everything to be instant and we cannot bear the crying sound of silence. The silence can be all to piercing, it makes us take a look at our own feelings of solitude and loneliness. Yet, instead of trying to grow, to ask the difficult questions, and to improve our faith we simply flick on the TV/computer/cell phone and look for a simple entertainment.
I can see all to clearly the prominent problems that will be bourn by our society. A society of a thousand friends on online social networks but at the cost of direct human relations and the sharing of sentiments. A society where the only time we see tears, is in a corny Smiley or hug/embrace at the end of a letter. I know that I fit the stereotype and spend too much time on this type of entertainment, but I am trying to better about experiencing true friendships, and to know myself. I hope that all of you are able to take time out of your day to show love to those who you love. Also, that you are able to make time for yourself, to be, to reflect, and to grow.
I pray that you are all able to take time for what is truly important in life.