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| A view out of our balcony window with the volcano in the background. |
I discovered for the first time last night, after having been here 3 weeks that we have an open area in the middle of our apartment complex with a pool, lounge chairs and tables with umbrellas. One of the other patients told me today she has been coming down here while the housekeeper is in her apartment. She told me the pool was open yesterday. Wow. I could have spent a little time down here all month soaking up some sun if I would have known! Oh well, maybe this week.
Mereta Mereta, who is here with her son sent us some pictures this morning of her home in Norway. Her house is lit in white lights. The color of the sky is a twilight color yet it is midday. There is snow on the ground. She explained that this is her favorite time of year. Her husband has decorated the house for Advent. Yesterday, my daughter told me that she loves Advent. She loves the short days, the darkness and the quiet. I love this image too of a quiet dark time, a time of expectation and waiting. It is a time to prepare and go deeper into ourselves and reflect on our own lives.
As I walked home from the grocery store today, in this beautiful weather I thought about the contrast between here and there. I though about our purpose for being here. Surely it too is a time of expecation and waiting. It is a time to prepare for a new life. It is a time to seek. The warm sun on relaxes and refreshes me. The fresh air and gentle breeze wash over me and lead me into contemplation.
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| A marathon being run on this beautiful day. |
Our friend Kate, reminded us today when commenting on the blog, that the theme for this first week of Advent is hope. How appropriate for this last week in Puebla to be bathed in expectation and in hope. And when we return next Sunday we will enter into the time of preparation for the light to come into the world.
Waking this morning, I was tired, Doug did not feel well. Hope was not on our lips. Since Doug got sick last Thursday, our sleep schedule has been really mixed up. Wedneday night Doug had a bad fall, then Thursday night we were at the hospital with his weakness and his cough, the last two nights Doug has not been sleeping because of the cough and he is up and down all night. Needless to say we are both pretty exhausted. This morning having to set the alarm for 5:30 to be ready for the nurse at 6:00 for blood tests and shots was really difficult. We took a little cat nap from 6:30 to 8:00, at which point we needed to be up to have breakfast before Zena, our house keeper was exptected to arrive. All this information is just to explain, we are feeling pretty tired right now, and I am sure that is interfering with Doug getting his strength back and getting over this cough. We were a little down.
Getting the pictures from Mereta to remind us of Advent and the comment from Kate about hope and the continuous reaussure of the comments on the blog all day kept pushing us along through the day, building us up, bolstering our hope. At 2:30 we met our group at the van and headed for the clinic. Today we are getting an update on our neutrophil white blood cell count. We also needed to check in with the doctor again about Doug's cough. It was good to be with everyone. There was hope today that the numbers would be high and the patients would no longer be in neutorpenia. And indeed that is what happened. Everyone in our group but one had high enough numbers to put every one back in the normal range. Doug went from 200 on Thursday night to 6000 today. Whoohoo! His body is doing just what it is suppose to do! Well, except the cough. Nevertheless this was hopeful information. We are happy and reasured. Dr. Priesca is going to have a different medication sent to us in the morning for Doug's cough. Hopefully this will help him.
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Popocatépetl volcano |
So indeed, as we begin this first week of Advent we are reminded to be hopeful, to remain hopeful. And so we pray.
Emanuel, God with us, thank you for your continued goodness and presence as experienced in the words of your people, as they continue to surround us and lift us up. Thank you for the hope that lives in our hearts. Thamk you for the expectation that there is more to this world than what our eyes can see and the deep longing we have to live more deeply, more authentically and more wholely. Be with us now. Guide us, teach us, show us the path to wholeness and healing. Help us to grow more and more in your image so that we too may bring hope to others and shine light in the darkness. Amen
I was so surprised when I saw you on my Facebook friends feed and even more surprised when I read your blog. I have been reading and explaining it to Gary every day. It has taken me back to writing on Gary's caring bridge page 7 years ago. Our hearts hurt to know that you are both struggling with such trials. I told the kids about Doug's situation and we all agreed that your family would be in our prayers. We have a lot of faith in the power of prayer and know that is was the collective faith and prayers of others that got us through the trial of Gary's stroke.
ReplyDeleteWe were so blessed that Gary worked with such good people that were so kind and companionate. You were one of those that helped make a simply impossible time bearable. We send our love and prayer to both you and Doug and pray for his full recovery!