Workshop on Intimacy

I just got back from a workshop on Intimacy sponsored by the Young Adult Ministry group at one of the local parishes here in Chicago.

I have to say that the workshop reminded me that there are a number of areas of my life that I am afraid to show the real me, and that this keeps me from being as close to others as I could or would like to be.

I'll share with you a few thought-provoking quotes from the talk:

Intimacy = proximity that liberates. ~ Jean Vanier

"It makes no difference when one decides to engage in the process of intimacy or how much one achieves. The decision to engage in the process is what can be life-changing. Such a decision can be made at any time, any age. It is not important to arrive; it is only important to be on the way. To share scary things; to reveal vulnerability; to become increasingly open; to work at letting go of defenses - this is intimacy. It's not something you have; it is something you do. That's why intimacy grows and changes. There's always something new to be honest about, some incident that evokes feelings. If a couple [or in fact, any two people] continues to share those feelings, their sense of adventure about life and their love for each other will grow." ~ Susan Page