Saturday, May 8, 2010
Yesterday and today have been rather low key for me.
Friday is my day off, and I only went into the office for a short while in the morning to answer mail. I stayed home the rest of the day, occupied with laundry, reading, prayer, exercise, sorting baseball cards and watching some TV shows I’d recorded. Not too exciting or noteworthy, but satisfying and restful to me.
Today, I met with Brother Clay for the first time in almost two months to review how his work has been going. Fr. Anthony has been supervising him in my absence.
When you first enter religious life, you renew your vows one year at a time until you’re ready for final vows. As Brother Clay asks to renew his vows this summer, we’re going through the formal evaluation and request stage.
As he reflects on what he’s learning, where there joys and struggles are, it’s also a good reminder to me to take time to name where I need to grow and improve, and what brings me joy and satisfaction.
As the weather gets nicer, visits to the museum are picking up again. I was called to the museum to say hello to Dennis and Bonnie, donors visiting from California. I had time, so I gave them a tour of campus.
I enjoy the interaction and the chance for a “show and tell” look at the school. I can’t do that every time, but visiting with folks is so much more enjoyable than paperwork.
It sounds like “business as usual “..a nd you are getting it done..with some time to “play”..So that is good..!
Now is the time to learn to take it a little easier..after all of the surgical trash is over, you will need to recuperate for awhile..Do you gots plenty of flowers there to smell..? Okay..Learn, now, to smell a lot of them. And be ready for the “rest up” after the struggle to the top of the hill.
We are at your back..and loaded with prayers..!
Mia and Bob
I went and visited my mother-in law at her
elderly folks home. It’s a good place, and takes their residents all the way through
hospice. Many had died recently. The hallway
seemed empty and quiet. One of my favorite
memories was walking around with her and looking at the donated art on the walls and quietly waving or smiling at the folks
around me. They perked right up. They play bingo, and I think I’m going to donate a bunch of little items for them to use.
I spend a lot of time on the beach rehabilitating myself, and today I found
that a big branch of rosemary had washed up.
Covered in salt and sand, it still smelled
like rosemary. Cleaned up, it’s hanging in my kitchen. For remembrance… I have a lot of things on my mind. I think everybody does. I thought of some additional herbs that you could use as I walked home.
Peppermint,candied ginger,or candied ginseng
for stomach issues. Eating any kind of seaweed would be a gentle way to get some potent nutrients. Apples or pears would
be good fiber. I know your parishoners
and your school folks take care of you,but
be very kind to yourself because recovering from surgery could take longer than you think. I remember lying down and getting lost in the music of Mozart and Beethoven
when the afterpain was more than I could bear. Sir, I hope that you have a way
easier time on your health journey. I know
you will, but I also think it is important that patients look out after each other. So the Pacific Northwest waves to you today. It
is sunny. The garden is growing. The Hawthorne and Dogwood trees are blooming- white and pink. Pow wow season is beginning.
A change in the season is occurring. Also a
change within many people, within me, and probably within you and your life. Be brave,sir. God will look out after you. You have gotten this far.
Take care,
Arian