{"product_id":"i-was-gone-long-before-i-left-what-living-in-the-monastery-for-twenty-five-years-taught-me-about-life-9781725280328","title":"I Was Gone Long Before I Left: What Living in the Monastery for Twenty-Five Years Taught Me about Life","description":"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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Resource Publications (CA)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/15\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781725280328\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 220\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.03lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.56d","brand":"Peter C. Wilcox","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52085566767285,"sku":"9781725280328","price":34.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_e53dfeae-e762-496b-852c-375c15b20712.jpg?v=1765294560","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/i-was-gone-long-before-i-left-what-living-in-the-monastery-for-twenty-five-years-taught-me-about-life-9781725280328","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}