I Was Gone Long Before I Left

by Peter C Wilcox

Book Overview

In St. Teresa of Avila's classic spiritual book Interior Castle she describes a difficult period of time in her spiritual journey when she said, ""When I think of myself, I feel like a bird with a broken wing."" When I left the monastery thirty-eight years ago, this was exactly how I felt. I Was Gone Long Before I Left is the story about my interior struggle to leave the monastery after living this lifestyle for over twenty-five years. It explores the reasons why I went to the monastery, why I stayed, why I eventually left, and what I have learned. Maybe more importantly, it describes the many years of mental anguish, confusion, and depression that I went through to finally make this decision. It has brought back many painful memories and experiences and called for an honesty and vulnerability that I found daunting. For over thirty-eight years, I have been unable to write about my experience of life in the monastery because I felt ashamed. For years, I thought about leaving, but couldn't make this decision because I felt paralyzed psychologically and emotionally. Now, after all these years, I have found the courage to share my story.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1725280337
• ISBN13: 9781725280335
• Release Date: September 2020
• Publisher: Resource Publications (CA)
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"