Road to Emmaus - Rachel El Hage

Interested in joining this singles group to experience connection, no judgement and just a great time? email Rachel at roadtoemmaus@olol.org.au

 Rachel El Hage is known for her role as the coordinator and founder of the Road to Emmaus singles group. This initiative caters specifically to older singles over the age of 35, aiming to create a community that fosters friendship and connection centered on Christian values. Despite being married and a mother of three, Rachel has dedicated her efforts to the enrichment of the Maronite community and providing support to its single members. Her background in HR complements her natural ability to connect with people and organize community-focused events.

Key Takeaways:

• Community Support for Singles: Road to Emmaus provides a safe, supportive environment encouraging older singles in the Maronite community to build friendships and connect over shared values.
• Faith-Centric Approach: The group emphasizes bonding through faith-driven activities, underscoring the importance of communal worship and prayer.
• Personal Growth and Community Involvement: Involvement in the group allows singles to overcome feelings of alienation, contributing positively to personal and community growth.
• Event Variety and Engagement: Regular and diverse events, ranging from social outings to religious gatherings, help maintain high engagement and encourage participation.
• Future Initiatives: Plans for workshops are underway to assist singles with dating and communication, aimed at reducing the intimidation often associated with dating in modern contexts.

Notable Quotes:

• "It's about forming those friendships where you have similar interests and understandings when it comes to topics around faith and ways of life."
• "I just want everyone to be happy and to find someone and to have that person with them."
• "Why not try something different? It's there to bring you closer to other people."
• "A date is not a contract. It's not a contract that you're going to be…"
• "There is this almost shame about being single that sometimes we carry once you get to a certain age."

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Transcript

0:00:00 - (Eddie Reaiche): I think that sense of belonging is so important because even some of my clients that I see because they've tried dating apps, didn't work out, and then all their friends around them are getting married, they're having kids. All they can do is just feel sorry for themselves.

0:00:25 - (Eddie Reaiche): But now that you're giving them opportunity and you give them a sense of belonging, this is a purpose and meaning that they can have in their life because you're giving them the opportunity and avenue to actually move forward in their life.

0:00:37 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah.

0:00:43 - (Debbie Draybi): Welcome to Finding Sanctuary. Our shared conversations into how we think and feel and how we find peace and comfort in daily life. We get together with experts to chat about all things mental health, getting insights and understanding on the struggles of life.

0:01:01 - (Debbie Draybi): And I feel like I haven't done this for a while. I've got Eddie co host this one. It's very special Christmas episode. Hey, Eddie, how you going? And we've got a very special guest with us today, Rachel Ahaj, who's someone very dear to Maha. Rachel's been only someone I've met recently, but we've just had a wonderful time getting to know each other. Rachel's the coordinator for one of our groups in the Maronite community called Road to Emmaus, which is a Maronite singles group which Rachel is the founder of.

0:01:30 - (Debbie Draybi): I'm really, really pleased. You can join us, Rachel.

0:01:33 - (Rachel El Hage): Thanks, Debbie and Eddie. It's nice to be here with you both.

0:01:36 - (Eddie Reaiche): It's great having you here.

0:01:37 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah.

0:01:38 - (Debbie Draybi): So, Rachel, you know, we're coming up to the end of the year. We're in the middle of our Christmas period, and we know it's a hard time of year for a lot of people, particularly in our community. We come from such a large community. There's a sense of connection and belonging and connectedness in our community. And sometimes that's easy to feel connected when you're in a relationship and you have a husband or a wife or a partner more engaged to be married.

0:02:04 - (Debbie Draybi): But often we find there are people that are lowly and isolated and quite alienated, particularly single people. Perhaps in a community like ours, it's easy to be single when you're young, but as you get older, it's more difficult because the people around you are married and have kids and so on. So I wanted to just, you know, reflect on today around being single and some of the challenges in a big culture and Big community like ours. And really what led you to, you know, setting up this group for single people in our community?

0:02:36 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah, it's for over 35, for singles within the community, singles in all forms. So whether you're divorced, widowed or single, it's a group for you to join. And really the basis of it is to foster new friendships centred on Christ. It's about forming those friendships where you have similar interests and understandings when it comes to topics around faith and ways of life and things like that. So that was the basis of it.

0:03:04 - (Rachel El Hage): The need for it came from seeing so many of my friends and family members in those positions where they weren't able to connect with other people at that same stage of life. I've been in different groups within my parish and have always formed different friendships with different people from across different parishes. And one of the hardest things was when you knew of people from different parishes who would make great friends or maybe something more than that, and they just weren't able to connect for whatever reason.

0:03:36 - (Rachel El Hage): And what I saw was, as they were getting older, maybe becoming a little bit more set in their ways, maybe going overseas and working and then returning and not really finding that friendship group or their friendship group that they did leave behind, have moved on and have found spouses and whatnot, but kind of feeling that little bit of loss within the community. We're very blessed. Our community is very big.

0:04:00 - (Rachel El Hage): It caters for so many different people, so many different ages. But there was that missing piece of that 35. You're not really part of the youth anymore and you're still very young to.

0:04:13 - (Debbie Draybi): Join the seniors group.

0:04:14 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah. So there was that bit of a. Bit of a disconnect. And really it came from wanting to start something to be so simple. Originally I wanted to start a dating app, but then I had to.

0:04:25 - (Debbie Draybi): Maronite dating app.

0:04:27 - (Rachel El Hage): Maronite's on another mission.

0:04:28 - (Debbie Draybi): That was good.

0:04:30 - (Rachel El Hage): That was going to be the name of it. But when I started to speak with Father Danny about it, he was the parish priest at St. Joseph's he really liked the idea. It was something that he had kind of started off at Our lady before he had moved to St. Joseph's but it didn't kick on as well as he had hoped. So I was very excited to help him with that and form that. And we wanted to make it so simple that it was.

0:04:57 - (Rachel El Hage): Wasn't as intimidating and people could just join on a WhatsApp group and just put in the chat when they were going out, what they were doing and just see if Anyone else was up for coming along, and that was the basis of it. And that's how it started.

0:05:12 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah. I should, I should have said in the introduction, you're not single, you're married, and you. You're not in that phase in your life. You have, you know, you are married. Like, what made you, you know, it seems like a very thoughtful thing to do, given it's not something you're experiencing.

0:05:27 - (Rachel El Hage): I've always loved setting up people and it's so for all of my friends that know me, knew that this was something that would be perfect for me. And it's a bit selfish because I just want everyone to be happy and to find someone and to have that person with them.

0:05:41 - (Debbie Draybi): That sounds like the most unselfish thing. I don't know how that's selfish.

0:05:45 - (Eddie Reaiche): Right.

0:05:45 - (Rachel El Hage): To me, I'd get frustrated when things wouldn't work out. But anyway, it came from that. Just wanting people to connect and just connecting people. And I have a HR background, so I love talking to people. It comes very natural to me. Getting people to join the group wasn't hard because I. I would just boldly go up to them and ask them to join the group and whatnot. Yeah. I'm not part of the group. I just help coordinate it.

0:06:05 - (Rachel El Hage): But it was just wanting to see people come together. Yeah. And it was again coming from seeing my family members, close friends that would be perfect and beautiful spouses, just helping them to find that opportunity, but also then find those friendships because a lot of their friends have moved on and found their own partner and had families and it was just helping them find those friends. Yeah.

0:06:28 - (Debbie Draybi): A different stage in life. Yeah.

0:06:30 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah.

0:06:30 - (Eddie Reaiche): I think it's important to mention too, sometimes people just don't want a partner. They just want to have friends. Because not all of us are built the same way. And although some of us don't understand that and think Lebanese way, you know, get married, have kids, that's just the normal template that everyone has to follow. There are a lot of people who just don't want to find a place for their vacation. Yeah, they kind of. Some people have been married and thinking, I'll never do that again and just want to have friends.

0:06:58 - (Eddie Reaiche): So I think you've created an atmosphere where they don't feel judged. They can feel comfortable if they just want friends or they want to find a partner or something like that. And I think that's something that's so unique. I can't imagine very many other communities would be doing the same.

0:07:15 - (Rachel El Hage): I don't know of any Other communities that are doing it, I know it was something that was definitely needed. And when we had kicked this off, I know Father Daniel got a lot of good feedback from other priests. So when the patriarch visited in September 2023, I think it was a lot of them had commented, what a initiative. And in my head I was like, why didn't this start earlier? But again, very grateful that it started, that we had the support as well.

0:07:41 - (Rachel El Hage): It's grown. So we started off with 28 members. In 2023, it's grown to 154. And they're from all different parishes, different rights as well, and all different backgrounds, which is really nice to see. Sometimes they all, like some events that they go to are more popular than others. But I think the fact that they just know that there's a space for them in the chat and whether they're not attending, maybe they just want to have that outlet and they can connect with other people there, that's still there for them.

0:08:17 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah. So for our listeners who are interested in joining, just describing it is a WhatsApp group and, you know, how would they join if they're interested?

0:08:25 - (Rachel El Hage): So they can send a request to join. The email address is wrote to emmaus.

0:08:30 - (Debbie Draybi): Lol.Orgau yeah, we will put the details and the link in the show notes. But yeah, so it's basically requesting to join and being part of a WhatsApp group.

0:08:41 - (Rachel El Hage): Yep. The response that from. For the requests that come through, I am a little bit thorough and I do like to make sure that people are meeting certain criteria because we are very particular about the age and I think that's a few different reasons. We found that youth technically is up to 34 according to World Youth Day. I think it's also a bit of that maturity that's part of the group and also that are younger may not have had time to reflect on their vocation and where they are in their life and whatnot. So making sure that we do keep that consistent.

0:09:14 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah. So for those that are curious, you have to be Single and over 35, please.

0:09:18 - (Eddie Reaiche): Is there an age limit? Like 35 to 50?

0:09:21 - (Rachel El Hage): But I am flexible on that.

0:09:24 - (Eddie Reaiche): Lucky you just got in.

0:09:25 - (Debbie Draybi): I know, I just got in.

0:09:26 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah.

0:09:27 - (Debbie Draybi): I should say that I am part of the group. I did join for our listeners. I'm a single mum, I'm divorced and I joined probably earlier this year or late last year, I think. Yeah. I can't remember the timeframe, but it's been a wonderful experience. And Eddie, you know, you mentioned earlier about not feeling judged I think that was my initial experience. I was a bit anxious about joining. I have dated, I've been on dating apps and things, but I was a bit anxious about joining a singles group within my community and I guess that was part of perhaps the stigma or shame that I carry as a divorced woman in the Maronite community.

0:10:05 - (Debbie Draybi): But one of the things that I felt was I was carrying that self judgment and I never felt judged at all. I remember having that first conversation with you and you were so warm and welcoming and gave me permission to feel like I do belong and I deserve to be there too and not to carry that stigma and that shame and that guilt that I perhaps have carried as a divorced woman. So I really want to thank you for that. But also thank you those in the that are listening for their openness and to realise that there's so many other single parents in the group and it's a beautiful group, but there's also lots of, you know, single people that have never been married, never had kids. But they're so curious and open and so welcoming and I've made a lot of friends in such a short time and they've been so nurturing and kind and almost given me permission to belong in perhaps where I felt a bit disconnected in the past.

0:11:00 - (Eddie Reaiche): I think that sense of belonging is so important because even some of my clients that I see, a lot of them have been stuck because they've tried dating apps, didn't work out, all their friends around them are getting married, they're having kids, all they can do is just feel sorry for themselves and just be stuck.

0:11:29 - (Eddie Reaiche): But now that you're giving them opportunity and you give them a sense of belonging, this is a purpose and meaning that they can have in their life because you're giving them the opportunity and avenue to actually move forward in their life just to make friends, just to be able to be and know they're.

0:11:46 - (Rachel El Hage): Not alone as well. So that's one thing that I've loved to see from this group was the friendships that are formed. The friendships that are formed have led people to travel together, go on pilgrimages together, together and even just in everyday life I've. I'll see on their social media that they're out and about and it's so beautiful to see that they've connected through the group. But also when we have things like mass together, realizing that that's what's centering us all and bringing it back to that. And whenever we have those events where it is a Mass and something else after, seeing them all connect after it. And I just think it's something that come from celebrating, praying together and then socialising after. It's such a beautiful thing to see as well.

0:12:30 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah.

0:12:30 - (Debbie Draybi): Well, you've just had the Mass and the Trivia night this month, which is incredible. And it's the second time you've done it. Do you want to talk a bit about that?

0:12:39 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah. So we had. The first trivia night we had was at St. Joseph's in March 2024 as part of the St. Joseph's Feast Week and it was a success. So many people were asking to run it again. My poor husband decided to lead and co host the trivia night and he was like, I can't do it again. It was too much work. So I said, okay, someone from the group has to do it. It's appropriate to come from members rather than myself.

0:13:03 - (Rachel El Hage): So we've hosted it again in December, which was a perfect way to have a Christmas event that followed Mass as well, which is always good. And Christmas is always that time where everyone's a little bit more joyful and a bit more relaxed. So it's always a bit more fun. Christmas sometimes.

0:13:20 - (Debbie Draybi): So, yeah, yeah, absolute. And it's been a big year. You've had some great events. I got the chance to host one, which was my version of speed dating Maronite style.

0:13:31 - (Rachel El Hage): I heard you were very.

0:13:32 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah, we had lots of fun. Even my daughter helped me with the questions. So, yeah, I think it's a great opportunity and there's like. I think what I love about it is encouraging the members to host events and to have ideas. We did Swing City and I had to explain to some of the members what swingers meant because. And it wasn't that at all. We played mini golf, but, yeah, some people had no idea what swingers were.

0:13:56 - (Rachel El Hage): Those activities, whenever they do bowling or movies or mini golf, it's so well received because it's something fun and something that you don't normally go to on your own. So you always need a group of people. So I think those activities always do.

0:14:10 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah. And I think. I mean, we've had events where people have felt like going alone was hard and so they brought someone with them just to introduce. And I think, you know, I think that's beautiful as well, knowing that you don't have to be alone. But I love the name Road to Emmaus.

0:14:28 - (Rachel El Hage): Credit to Father Danny that was his idea.

0:14:30 - (Debbie Draybi): That was his idea.

0:14:31 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah. And that's something that we've always tried to draw back on that it is about that pathway together, friends together, centered with Christ. And drawing back to that always helps the group to regroup as well and.

0:14:45 - (Debbie Draybi): Regroup with what we do. And I think that's a beautiful one. I've reflected on that name. I didn't know sort of a lot about the road to Emmaus. I've kind of researched it a bit since joining the group and it's just been such a beautiful reflection of what happens in the group. You know, you're walking with Jesus and you don't realise on that road to Emmaus, the disciples were walking with Jesus and talking to him, but they didn't recognise him until they broke bread together.

0:15:12 - (Debbie Draybi): And I see that in the group that it's hard when you're first walking in together and then when we sit down and we break bread, we see Christ in each other and it's just been such a beautiful journey. And I think the name is incredible. I'm not sure what was in Father Danny's head, but that's how I've experienced it.

0:15:29 - (Rachel El Hage): Yeah, that's his brilliance. And we've tried to draw on that with the activities. So one activity. So our chaplain is Father John Paul Basile, and during Lent we held the Lecture Divina series and it was three different sessions that would reflect on the Gospels of each Sunday in Lent. And a father led that. That journey that the members went through and the time they had spent with Father reflecting, sharing, praying together, that was really something that they found very special and great to have during that season of Lent. So hopefully it's something that continues with each season.

0:16:06 - (Debbie Draybi): The group often call each other roadies.

0:16:09 - (Rachel El Hage): And I'm mummies as well.

0:16:13 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah, there's lots of banter. Just seeing people's personalities shining. You know, there are people that are quiet and, you know, if you are listening and you're on the group and you're on the chat or you plan to join, it's nice to hear from you. I know it's a big group and it can be intimidating, but recognising that we all carry that fear sometimes and being able to show up and if you haven't come to an event, it'd be nice to see you and to be part of the community.

0:16:40 - (Rachel El Hage): So we have designated the first Saturday of each month as the official Road to Ms. Event. So we try to host something every first Saturday of the month, but do encourage other members to drop in other events they're attending throughout that month as well. It can be something as simple as, hey, I'm going for a dinner here, who wants to join? And they come along. It's a concert, a comedy show. They've always been very popular as well. So we do try to encourage it to be self led as well.

0:17:07 - (Rachel El Hage): But we have a committee that helps like keep things moving.

0:17:10 - (Debbie Draybi): Thinking about our listeners that are curious, that are sitting there alone, navigating the single life, perhaps they have lived somewhere else, been overseas, they've just come back and they feel disconnected from their community. What's something that you'd say to them to encourage them to take that step and to join and become part of the Road to Emmaus community?

0:17:30 - (Rachel El Hage): Why not try something different? It's there to bring you closer to other people. You don't have to join or attend anything if you don't want to. You just take that first step and Register. Join the WhatsApp group and see if you like what you're seeing, the events, if there's something of interest, if you like to go for dinner, if you.

0:17:49 - (Debbie Draybi): Like to go bowling, if you like.

0:17:51 - (Rachel El Hage): To do different activities, to meet new people, join. And then if you come for one event and you don't think it's for you, that's okay. What I have found is that there's been people that haven't attended an event in so long, I'm like, that's fine, they'll come when they're ready. It's just knowing that there's a space for them and that they're not alone, I think is the most important thing.

0:18:10 - (Eddie Reaiche): I also think it's really important for all our shy listeners out there that there's a place for you. Because everybody is shy in their own way. And if you can overcome that, then that's gonna show you how much strength you really do have. Not relying on whether or not, oh, I'm just too shy, I can't do it or no one will like me. All these negative thoughts that you can have will always keep you where you are and keep you stuck.

0:18:35 - (Eddie Reaiche): You can make that choice by just saying, take that one step and just join something like Road to Emmaus. Meet the most amazing people you've ever met who are all shy and all fell in their own way and all difficulties in life, yet they're just trying to put themselves out there just to move forward in life and this is an opportunity for you.

0:18:56 - (Rachel El Hage): What I have found is with people that are in that position where they're shy and Might not know anyone in the group. They tend to come to the events that. Where there's a mass first.

0:19:05 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah, yeah.

0:19:06 - (Rachel El Hage): So we tend to have our masses at Our lady of Lebanon, because that's where we sit under. And I find that they're more comfortable coming to an event there because that's everyone. It's church, it's for everyone. You know what's going to happen in Mass, so you kind of already. You're not left out in the dark. And then if there's an event afterwards, which there usually always is, it takes away a little bit of that intimidation.

0:19:29 - (Rachel El Hage): There is that.

0:19:29 - (Debbie Draybi): I think there is this almost shame about being single that sometimes we carry once you get to a certain age, because there is that expectation to be married and to partner by the time you get to a certain age. So I think that's a big part of it. Just thinking about that. It's carrying that shame. And that fear can sometimes make it difficult because you're going to a singles event, so it's obvious that you are.

0:19:58 - (Debbie Draybi): It's not hidden, you can't mask it. And I see that. I mean, I felt that too myself. So being able to recognise that we all carry it but feel the fear and do it anyway because, you know, the outcome is incredible and it's not even what you imagine. It's even better because the one thing.

0:20:15 - (Eddie Reaiche): I think everyone wants to avoid is that our bare leg at every window.

0:20:19 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah.

0:20:21 - (Debbie Draybi): Something we say at every wedding, or it's means for the single people.

0:20:26 - (Eddie Reaiche): I hope you're next.

0:20:27 - (Debbie Draybi): I hope you're next. Yeah, it's your turn next. It's been done.

0:20:31 - (Eddie Reaiche): I mixed that up once, believe it.

0:20:33 - (Rachel El Hage): Or not, at a funeral.

0:20:33 - (Eddie Reaiche): At a funeral.

0:20:36 - (Eddie Reaiche): At the first Mafil I ever went to. But that's another story.

0:20:40 - (Rachel El Hage): You know, I think that's a good point, though, that you make about that shame and feeling that shame. And people probably won't speak about it if they're feeling it and they're in the group and they might be positive and coming to the events, but that still might be lingering in them. I think that's something that we need to address as a potential next event or something just where they can feel comfortable and just kind of strip it away and just know that.

0:21:04 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah, look. And we all carry it in different forms, in different ways, and just feeling that sense of ownership, that that's part of who you are right now and, you know, it's opportunity to be part of a community that's really designed for you and to meet your needs and to really build that connection and to feel like you're part of something.

0:21:27 - (Eddie Reaiche): You may even have an opportunity to learn a little bit more about yourself too, in places like this. But being able to go there, you can find out how much strength you really do have. And I think it's important to actually challenge yourself just a couple of times and see where you go from there.

0:21:43 - (Debbie Draybi): Baby steps, Eddie. You know, I'm curious about that. I know we've had conversations about understanding. Often it is very isolating as a single person and you can feel quite alone and there are some risks unique to being single. And I wondered about that. I know that you and I have talked about maybe developing a program and a bit of a workshop as we do with the podcast. Do you want to talk a bit about what you've been planning and designing for next year?

0:22:10 - (Eddie Reaiche): I've been working on a workshop that I'd like to do with singles, which is adapted from the John Gottman's Making Marriage Work, and it's modified for singles and it's ways of helping them, particularly in the dating scene, how to date somebody. Because there are some people, believe it or not, even at 35, never been out with anyone before and they wouldn't even know how to start. And I think as we get older, it's actually more difficult to date somebody because there's so many things that are going through our minds.

0:22:41 - (Eddie Reaiche): So what I was thinking doing our workshop that I wanted to present is helping them communicate what to expect on a date. Not so much hold a hand or say this or say that, but some ways of being in that date and being present and not being so scared on who they are and how to listen, what sort of questions to ask. And we talk about open ended questions rather than yes, no questions and just being prepared sometimes some things that could potentially help them.

0:23:13 - (Eddie Reaiche): So it takes the fear away from dating because a lot of shy people, the thought of a date with somebody would actually put him into a panic attack, literally. And so we look at a lot of the principles. Like we take the seven principles of what makes marriage work, how we turn towards each other. There's a lot of things that's creating what we call love maps, but also if things don't go well, how do we cope with that? What's the best way? If things are starting to turn into an argument, what do you do? And I'm not talking about the first date because that's a red flag, but if it's how to communicate that, how to communicate how to get through that, it's okay to fight, but we gotta learn how to fight, right?

0:23:55 - (Eddie Reaiche): Not on the first date.

0:23:57 - (Debbie Draybi): You can never fight on the first date.

0:23:58 - (Rachel El Hage): Not a good thing. And it's okay to not get along with everyone.

0:24:01 - (Eddie Reaiche): And it's perfect not to get along with someone because we know that not everybody is meant for everybody. And so there is chemistry. Whether we like it or not, there's always chemistry and it doesn't always work. And so these workshops help us understand that and where we actually fit in the whole dating scheme, what we can do to make it the best that we can.

0:24:23 - (Rachel El Hage): And I think once you start naming that, naming the different types of feelings that come up when you mention dating, it kind of helps calm them as well. Yeah, because you give it a name and you take ownership of it, but normalising it.

0:24:37 - (Eddie Reaiche): A date is not a contract. It's not a contract that you're going to be married.

0:24:41 - (Debbie Draybi): A date is an interview your whole family won't know. It's okay.

0:24:45 - (Eddie Reaiche): So you don't go on the first date and think about what the nursery will look like.

0:24:50 - (Eddie Reaiche): The first date is really getting to know if, do I get along with this person? Does she get along with me?

0:24:55 - (Rachel El Hage): As simple as that.

0:24:56 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah, I think about that. You know, I'm really curious and I will sign up to your workshop because, you know, I was married for 16 years. I hadn't dated for over 20 years. And really before marriage, I didn't date a lot. My parents were quite traditional and strict and I didn't have a lot of experience with dating. And so now navigating that for the first time after 20 years, the rules have changed, dating has changed, and I've changed. And I think thinking about that, particularly for people over 35, thinking about your early experiences of dating to now, it's been such an evolution of the dating world, particularly with dating apps. And the dating culture has changed a lot.

0:25:37 - (Debbie Draybi): I mean, we have these ideas around ghosting and the other one I heard of the other day was benching. And like all these different dating terms that have emerged in the dating culture. So sporting to a minute. I know, right? Well, ghosting is when you date someone and then you just don't hear from them again and they just hear, they become a ghost. And benching is when you hear from them intermittently. So they put you on the bench and they might be dating multiple, multiple people. I'm learning all this. I'm learning all this.

0:26:05 - (Eddie Reaiche): That's horrible. That's not.

0:26:06 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah. So there's lots of things around the New dating culture that I think would be really useful to explore in these workshops as well, and maybe even in a podcast.

0:26:15 - (Eddie Reaiche): That's such a good point, because there are people that date multiple people at the same time and they think they'll get the best that they can. So they're not really giving anyone a.

0:26:23 - (Rachel El Hage): Real chance, 100% of their attention.

0:26:25 - (Debbie Draybi): Being able to think about that as well.

0:26:27 - (Eddie Reaiche): It just sucks so much out of a relationship or a potential relationship if you're trying to edge your bet on multiple days.

0:26:35 - (Rachel El Hage): And it's exhausting. Yeah, it is.

0:26:37 - (Debbie Draybi): It can be quite, you know, draining.

0:26:41 - (Debbie Draybi): Rachel, it's been a wonderful conversation. I wondered whether you had anything you want to leave us with, any messages that you think would be really useful for our listeners who are curious. Maybe they've navigated dating apps and are sick of that and have done other singles events. You know, what's something that you'd say to people out there who might be curious but are still hesitant?

0:27:01 - (Rachel El Hage): There's a place for you in the road to Emmaus. It's there. You can make it what you want. You can find new friends. You don't know who you'll meet. So just be open. Open your heart, open your mind a little bit to something different. Different. Know that you're in a safe space. Everyone's in the same boat as well, just journeying life together. So I think that's a. It's a nice feeling to know that it's a common thing that brings you all together.

0:27:25 - (Rachel El Hage): Once you join the group and you see how many people there are in that same group as you from across all the different parishes, it's pretty amazing to see that you're not alone.

0:27:35 - (Debbie Draybi): Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Thanks for your commitment that you've made. I know that you've navigated that and having a family and everything else, and it's been wonderful contribution that you've made in the group. And we really, honestly feel so privileged that we have someone like you to really lead and support and develop this, you know, starting it from nothing and building it.

0:27:58 - (Eddie Reaiche): Thank you for catering for a group of people who are usually left forgotten.

0:28:02 - (Debbie Draybi): And put on the side, especially as a married person. You know, you have that thoughtfulness and that consideration of the single people. So, honestly, Rachel, God bless you and. And really appreciate what you've done.

0:28:14 - (Rachel El Hage): Thank you so much. Thank you, guys.

0:28:22 - (Debbie Draybi): I hope this episode has helped you find sanctuary in this exciting journey of life. All of the resources we've mentioned in this episode are found in the podcast notes. If you need some assistance with any of the topics discussed in today's episode, then please Visit our website, HSHL.org au if you have any thoughts, comments or ideas, please leave us a comment on Spotify. Alternatively, send us an email@adminshl.org

0:28:53 - (Debbie Draybi): au. You and your mental health matters to us, and we hope you get one step closer in finding sanctuary. Bye for now.