The Restory Retreat Centre

  Existential Health Inhabit existence; Create Meaning; Assuming Authorship The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Creative Piece This week's creative piece, a painting, is actually more about the painter than the painting itself. In this quiet, introspective man, one can see 3 characteristics of existential health. L.S. Lowry, the British painter who painted "Going to the Mill" in 1925, looked his reality, the industrial city of Manchester, squarely in the eye. While others viewed the industrial cities of the time as ugly and crude, Lowry saw the beauty, the loneliness and the humanity in it. He did not paint an artificial, elevated world; he painted the point of contact with reality. Returning to last week's subject: To rest meaningfully requires that we, like Lowry, stop waiting for an "ideal" or "perfect" world to come to a standstill in front of us. It requires that we look the reality of our daily lives with its mills, its smoke and...

  Eksistensiële Gesondheid Midde-in Realiteit; Jou eie Outeur; Ongeleende Betekenis Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Kreatiewe Stuk Hierdie week se kreatiewe stuk, 'n skildery, gaan eintlik meer oor die skilder as oor die skildery self. By dié stil, inkennige man kan mens 3 kenmerke van eksistensiële gesondheid sien. L.S. Lowry, die Britse skilder wat "Going to the Mill" in 1925 geskilder het, het sy realiteit, die industriële stad Manchester, vierkantig in die oë gekyk. Terwyl ander die industriële stede van die tyd as lelik en kru beskou het, het Lowry die skoonheid, die eensaamheid en die menslikheid daarin gesien. Hy het nie 'n kunsmatige, verhewe wêreld geskilder nie; hy het die raakpunt met die werklikheid geskilder.  Om sinvol te rus, vra dat ons, soos Lowry, ophou om te wag vir 'n "ideale" of "perfekte" wêreld voor ons tot stilstand kom. Dit vra dat ons die realiteit van ons daaglikse lewe met sy meule, sy rook en sy onvolmaaktheid...

  Choose Your Hard   The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Music We never know with absolute certainty in advance whether our choices are perfect, but we still have to bear the weight of our own decisions. Against that backdrop, Wolf Larsen's "If I Be Wrong" is not a call to make the right choice. It's more like a compassionate recognition of how difficult and beautiful it is to be human and to make choices. With love. George & Matilda

Kies Jou Moeilik   Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Musiek Ons weet nooit vooraf met absolute sekerheid of ons keuses perfek is nie, maar ons moet steeds die gewig van ons eie besluite dra. Teen daardie agtergrond  is Wolf Larsen se  "If I Be Wrong"   nie 'n oproep om reg te kies nie. Dis eerder soos 'n deernisvolle erkenning van hoe swaar en mooi dit is om mens te wees en keuses te maak. Met liefde. George & Matilda

  Love and Sorrow The Restory's program this week largely reflects the larger Easter themes. Over Easter weekend, starting on Thursday, the exceptional Pippa Jarvis from Embrace Village is hosting an Expressions of Loss retreat here with us, with the  focus on mourning. Others' stories of loss and grief unfold our humanity and touch us, precisely because recognition and compassion are part of the process. Over the 5 days that it lasts, we reflect on elements of the grieving process during the prayer times in the morning and evening, which beautifully connect with and give new meaning to the themes of Easter. The opening and closing prayers at the beginning and end of the times of silence, are the lines from a poem or other literature that highlight the theme of that day: Thursday Good Friday Holy Saturday Easter Sunday Easter Monday On the last day of the retreat, we return to the prayers of the first day.   Before the start of the retreat, with us being alone here at Ta...

  Liefde en Hartseer Die Restory se program hierdie week reflekteer in 'n groot mate die groter Paastemas. Oor Paas-naweek  bied die uitsonderlike Pippa Jarvis van Embrace Village 'n Expressions of Loss retreat hier by ons aan met die fokus op rou. Ander se verhale van verlies en hartseer vou ons menswees oop en roer ons juis omdat die herkenning en medelye deel van die proses is.  Oor die 5 dae wat dit duur, staan ons tydens die gebedstye soggens en saans stil by elemente van die treurproses, wat pragtig aansluit by en die temas van Paasfees nuwe betekenis gee. Die opening- en afsluitgebede aan die begin en einde van die stilwordtye, is telkens net die reëls uit 'n gedig of ander literatuur wat die tema van daardie dag uitlig: Donderdag Goeie Vrydag Stil Saterdag Paassondag Paasmaandag Op die laaste dag van die retreat keer ons terug na die gebede van die eerste dag. Voor die aanvang van die retreat, met ons alleen hier by Tafelkop gedurende die Heilige Week, het die vr...

Incalculably Diffuse   The Conversation Elements From The Conversation The ending of Middlemarch is densely woven with layers of meaning that one can dwell on for a long time. The following authors are good guides that help us make it even fuller and deeper: Where Eliot speaks of “unhistoric acts”, Robinson in her book Gilead points to meaning that often falls outside the sphere of historians and is not proclaimed in news headlines - meaning that continues to reside precisely in the ordinary everyday. One of the inconvenient truths of Eliot's quote is this: the people who contribute the most often have no idea they are doing it. There is no strategy, or self-knowledge, or moral achievement in them. Only availability. Our influence is not always the result of what we do, but of who we are. The last line in Middlemarch remains shockingly honest: “rest in unvisited tombs.” No plaque or statue. Just a trail that continues in other people’s lives. Communities are not built by exception...

Onberekenbaar Verspreid   Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Die slot van Middlemarch is dig geweef met lae betekenis waarby mens lank kan stilstaan. Die volgende skrywers is goeie gidse wat ons help om dit nog voller en dieper te maak: Waar Eliot praat van “unhistoric acts”, wys Robinson in haar boek Gilead  op betekenis wat dikwels buite die sfeer van die geskiedskrywers val en nie in nuusopskrifte verkondig word nie - en juis in die gewoon alledaagse bly woon. Een van die ongemaklike waarhede van Eliot se aanhaling is dit: die mense wat die meeste bydra, het dikwels geen idee dat hulle dit doen nie. Daar is by hulle nie strategie, of selfkennis, of morele prestasie nie. Net beskikbaarheid. Ons invloed is nie eers altyd die gevolg van wat ons doen nie, maar van hoe ons is. Die laaste reël in Middlemarch bly skokkend eerlik: “rest in unvisited tombs.”  Geen gedenkplaat of standbeeld nie. Net ’n spoor wat in ander mense se lewens voortgaan. Gemeenskappe word nie gebou d...