Ways to See the World

One of the most challenging things about this place is the goodbyes. It’s part of the rhythm of life here and whilst you anticipate the dates, it doesn’t make saying those goodbyes any easier. The summer is a particularly challenging time for the lived community as people come to volunteer for short periods of time and can have a huge impact, and then there are goodbyes to the people who have lived here for a year or more. There are things about living here which are hard to explain to those who’ve never experienced the intensity of it. The impact a small group of people can have on your sense of yourself, your personal growth and professional development is astounding. The ways that I see the world have been challenged again and again this last year and whilst there are people I have shared experiences with who I will probably never see again, there are also those I know will be some of the closest friends I have for years to come. It’s strange to anticipate another year here

So for some crazy reason I have yet to work out, I have signed up to do a leg of the Belfast City Marathon on Monday 6 May. I do not voluntarily run and have never really been for a run in my life so I have just over a month to prepare to run the admittedly short distance of 4.3 miles. Thankfully there's a team of us here at Corrymeela who are all doing this together. So many in fact that we have two relay teams of staff and volunteers in the marathon this year.  So, why are we running? Many of us have given up our time to come to volunteer at Corrymeela and believe in the power of volunteering to provide opportunities for people to grow, develop and learn so that we can give back to communities around the world when we leave but also to contribute to the work of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland in some small way. Not only is this a way of giving back to Corrymeela through fundraising but it is also a way of raising money to allow people who may not be able to aff