This may sound like very limited contact, but it's really no worse than being sent overseas by the armed forces or an international corporation. My sisters here at the monastery are always interested in hearing about my parents' travels, my dad's time in his latest marathon, how my sister is doing living in France, how many times my brother has taken his kids to Sea World, and when the next baby is due. Two thirds of the community eagerly learned Chinese brush painting in a class given by my mom, and we all challenged our minds with a slide lecture on chaos theory and fractals given by my dad. Maybe my brother will be next with a presentation on his work around the world as a chemical oceanographer. Acceptance . . .
Separation is difficult for any close-knit family.
Sometimes I can still see my parents' pain over my vocation. It grieves them that I cannot come home to the nest on holidays, that I will not have children, that I cannot attend family events such as weddings and anniversaries. There are things I still cannot share with my parents and siblings, since my family has always had difficulty expressing our inner beliefs. Even after all these years, I can remember only one theological discussion with my parents. It was just after the space shuttle Challenger blew up.