Musings In May

Dear Readers,
Hello and I hope you've all had a good month so far. This piece was written last month and I apologise for publishing it so late [I was waiting to upload more photos but my camera battery is acting up]. Well, lots happened in the past few weeks that caused me to be away from my blog quite a bit. Now I can't wait to catch up with all that I have missed on your blog posts and promise to respond to all your comments.



I went up to Massachusetts for my brother's graduation from Graduate School. It was a lovely 5 day trip and I traveled by train which afforded me time to write most of the pieces from The Train Ride to The Waterfront. My husband had driven me all the way to the station in the nearest big city. The train was three hours late arriving so I left Savannah around 0400h to DC; there I had about a 4h lay over and switched trains. The second train was much less comfortable than the first, and the reduced leg room was inconvenient. I got to Boston by eight o'clock in the midst of the morning hustle and bustle; tired. As often as I plan to travel light, I rarely ever seem to accomplish it. Struggling with bags, and following the hand-scribbled instructions in my pocket, I made my way to the Red line and got off at Harvard Square. There I walked a bit until I located the bus terminal where I was to wait for the 73. For some strange reason, sometimes you pay when you get on a bus and other times when you get off. I puzzled over this apparent flaw in the MBTA bus system for days, one that possibly makes sense to a certain breed of Bostonians but not to me. Sometimes you go to pay and the driver says "pay when you get off" and other times you walk in and have a seat only to see people behind you paying immediately. One evening when the bus carried a sparse population of passengers, I ventured to beg for clarity by asking the driver. He explained that you pay as you get off the bus only when you embark on an outbound bus from Harvard Square. Otherwise you pay when you get on the bus. How utterly confusing for newcomers to the city? Surely there must be an easier way ... just ask NYC. Anyway, the AMTRAK train journey was quite the twenty-four hour scenic route.

I arrived at my girlfriend's home as she was leaving for work. From there she would head to NC for a few days. So I had the house to myself- what glee! S' home has always been a safe haven in which to unwind and de-stress. It is like going for a retreat and checking in to a bed & breakfast. Heavenly. The spare room was made up for me, with towels, soap and a lovely lavender body lotion (by Clarence O. Bigelow) set aside for my use. Then there is the bathroom which is actually like a spa. The impressive array of face and body and hair and feet treatments, washes, cleansers, lotions, shampoos, etc. entices my senses every time. It was a joy to wake up with eager anticipation of the treat of a long shower each morning. Bliss. Then the kitchen, I mean cuisine, is so homely and inviting. Being a natural born cook, as is the rest of her family (including mom, sister and brothers), the kitchen lacked nothing. It is no wonder that I treasure my trips to Boston which never fail to leave me refreshed and rejuvenated. I can then return to my life, better able to cope and continue from whence I left off.


H's graduation week went well. I attended a dinner for students and their families the first evening. It was lovely. The day after, my brother and I spent time together in the city. Then on Saturday we visited a market in a posh part of town. It was great and I bought a huge container of the biggest, reddest and sweetest strawberries I have ever seen, for just $2. Awesome. I saw some lovely displays of garden herbs, a photographer's work, antiques and lots of other items. I bought some Rosemary tea and my brother got some lovely homemade cookies. Later we snacked on your all-American favourite, hotdogs and french fries. The fourth day was graduation day. I found out that transportation is difficult in that neighbourhood on Sundays. It took forever to get a taxi to the university. I finally went to the pay phone to call one and was told to call back in twenty-five minutes to see if one had become available. Imagine that! Golly gosh, where was I? I suddenly missed NYC's transportation system. Eventually I sighted a taxi and managed to flag him down. The pleasant older Lebanese driver proceeded to take me to the wrong school. Mildly anxious at this stage, I remained calm as he tampered with his GPS and soon we were headed for my brother's school, Brandeis. I made it into the hall just in time, laughing at the memory of the stern instructions to be seated at least a half hour prior to the start of the procession. The ceremony ended well, as did the day. My brother and I met up with S (now back from NC) and her brother to have dinner in honor of his recent achievement. He had done my whole family proud. Especially in light of the fact that after first semester, the student loan company canceled his loan because they were no longer offering personal loans (or something to that effect). Nevertheless, the good lord made it possible for my brother to stay in school and come out with great success. Praise God!

Upon my return home, another overwhelming event occurred. An earlier discussion had taken place where I had clearly stated that I have no desire for pets at this time. Firstly, I have never personally had to raise any animal so I would need to prepare my mind psychologically for it. Then I would want to start with something simple like goldfish. Plus, I have so much going on in my life that it would be a strain on me. Finally, I would get dumped with the task of taking care of the animal which I did not want. As words that fall on deaf ears are in vain, so my explanations were a waste. My husband came home one late night with a month-old puppy. A few days later he traveled and guess who was stuck with a pet and no clue what to do? My prayer was simple: God, please let not this puppy die. By His grace, Sailor is waxing strong today. I survived the five-day self-taught immersion crash course on Raising A Puppy Alone. I graduated but still have tons to learn :). While my husband was in SC for Memorial weekend, I had the house all to myself. Another gift of a "me" time from God. Besides tidying up the yard and getting the house cleaned, I spent time with my neighbour down the road and her children. It was nice to be able to operate at my own rhythm for a few days. Unlike my husband who always seems to be on the go and needs to be "up and doing", I tend to like a peaceful and tranquil existence. I love to work and be busy, but it needs to be busy helping people or doing my job as a doctor which gives me much joy, yet my innate tempo is on the slow quiet side ... curled up with a book, hours working at a jigsaw puzzle, gardening, a lazy long walk or short jog. It fascinates me how different people are. Whether naturally or as a result of learning or exposure, we become who we are.

Two days ago, I had a bit of a health problem. It was completely unexpected and for me who has generally been pretty healthy, it took an emotional toll. I tried to brave it for hours especially since I was at a loss as to what to do. An extreme feeling of anxiousness and confusion as the symptoms heightened caused me to finally ask my husband to take me to the Emergency Room. We must have gotten there about four or five o'clock a.m. and I was discharged after a few hours around nine. I spent the entire weekend at home, receiving separate prescriptions for complete bed rest from my mom and aunt over the phone. Of course it drove me nuts to lie in bed all day. I had to get up and sit for a while, I dare confess, and even walk about the house a bit. I nearly completed a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, so you get an idea of how absolutely bored I was... lol. It is a lovely jigsaw that I bought at the Boston market from a couple who create the pictures themselves, then have them sent off to the factory to be made into jigsaws. Pretty cool process, huh?

Much later I realized that in actual fact I was depressed. Hmmm, this surprised me somewhat and ought not to have done so really. But of course, things tend to be different when they happen to "us" as opposed to "other people". Henceforth my empathy goes to patients who are prescribed "complete bed rest". It is easier said than done, doctor! I won't go into detail, but permit me to say that being unable to articulate my emotions and thoughts, this incident leaves me feeling a little numb and sad; bereft to be more precise. Perhaps at a later date I shall be able to process this entire experience psychically and move on. It can be a rather emotional ordeal yet the good lord remains our almighty physician. He is a healer [Exodus 15v26] and maketh all things beautiful in His time [Ecclesiastes 3v11]. Some illnesses are not unto death, but for the glory of God [John 11v4]. God has a purpose and a plan in every event, and I look forward to discovering the blessing in this incident. After the initial weakness and shock, and in spite of the intense pain that racked my body, all I could do was pray and praise [Acts 16v25-26] for I knew that what the enemy intended as harm, the lord shall use for my good.

Today I watched an awesome ministration by Pastor Schreve on "marriage". I caught it by chance and was glad that I did. Extremely insightful and invaluable information for all married folk and anyone who might be contemplating marriage any time in the future (lol). Check it out at FromHisHeart.org. Well, I just thought to share the recent goings-on in my personal life. Many-a-time it is therapeutic for me to do so and it might possibly also encourage or touch someone else out there. I wish you all a wonderful week as we leave May behind. Summer is in the air; let us all welcome June with open arms, fresh hope and reaffirmed security that our future will be brighter than our past. Afterall, God is in control and I admonish us all to stay focused and keep the faith because the best is yet to come:)