The Pool

It's been a while since I wrote anything between a week with my family in MA. and a week at our Family Life Program. It was not on my agenda to go online very much. Now I'm back and I'm reflecting on my recent experiences.

I have spent from a week to seven weeks each summer at the Trinita Family Life Program for the past 18 years. The Trinita Retreat Center is in New Hartford, CT. (45 minutes NW of Hartford) in the summer the Trinita Family Life Development Program, which is primarily for families from inner-city neighborhoods happens. The summer program is a combination of camp fun, communication-building activities and a chance to deepen spiritually. "Blanket time" is a daily hour of family sharing, and in peer group discussions mothers & fathers are able to support one another in their struggles to raise a family in the inner city. There's lots of opportunities for fun, for doing silly things you wouldn't do at home in the neighborhood and for enjoying the open space of gentle green hills. Plus there's a pool!

The pool is open two hours a day and everyone seems to enjoy it.
A fond memory I have is of one day at the pool when it started to lightly rain. The parents and kids asked me in my capacity as MSBT at the pool (there's always one of us present) if the pool was to be close. It was quite warm and this rain was the kind of light shower not accompanied by thunder and lightning. I said no, the pool's not closing, no lightning no closing. Everyone cheered and jumped in the pool. Spontaneously every child adult and volunteer present starting bobbing up and down in the pool, shouting Trinita rules, Trinita rules! It was pure joy!
City pools tend to be crowded and at times dangerous. At Trinita it's clean, roomy enough and safe, so everyone can enjoy. Thanks be to God for the pool!