Normalidad

A return to some normality today. The blessing of Monday?

I honestly do not know how much sleep I got last night. I wonder if I got any. Maybe I was half-awake, half-conscious throughout the night. So I consider it a small miracle that I rose at six-thirty (I conceded morning prayer to the manifest necessity of a little more rest), made it to Maryknoll for a full day of classes, and felt fresh throughout the morning. In fact, I felt really present and fully engaged in our conversations and exercises. My thanks to Joshua, and to Profesores Osvaldo and Vicky, for bringing the best out of me today. 

At Maryknoll we said ciao to one of the students, a priest from India with the Society of the Divine Word missionaries, who is returning to Rome on Wednesday. And we said bienvenido to a new student, a priest from South Korea. (An aside: Profesora Julia rotated to the new student, which is why Profesor Osvaldo is now platooning with Profesora Vicky.) At this time we are eight students in all, five from Korea, my Maryknoll seminarian friends Joshua and Charles, and me. 

This afternoon I had my appointment at Clínica Belga with Doctora Ferrel. We decided to drop the medication I had been using this month. She has referred me to a specialist who speaks English who can help identify causes and remedies and, as necessary, prescribe something more effective and particular to my form of sleeplessness. I found the specialist’s office but it was closed this afternoon, so I will make contact later. 

So for now I will continue doing the positive things that will increase the possibility of adequate rest on any given night. The class schedule is lighter this week. Wednesday is El Día del Trabajador, so the mission center is closed. I am hoping to view a workers’ march in the morning around the city center and post here about it if I can. On Thursday the teachers and students are going to Santa Cruz Tatala for the celebration of the feast of Santa Vera Cruz, of which I wrote last week. So really there are only two more days of in-class instruction and one grand field trip for all. 

At this hour I feel fully awake. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Or, more to the point, who knows what the night will bring? For now, for this evening, off to early dinner, rosary with the friars and the people of God, Eucharist, and night prayer.