a "normal" person

today i give a shout-out to my friend, carol, who made me feel like a "normal" person again..... what a pleasant surprise and blessing to find her in my office after a day of meetings.... seems like the last few weeks have just been a series of meetings, meetings, meetings and more meetings. a meeting for this and a meeting for that and each meeting producing more meetings and more work (now there's a concept!) so that by the time carol came around, i was ready to bolt. so, we just walked downtown, grabbed something to drink, sat next to the new fireplace on 8th street, and absorbed the sun. our conversation was pure catch-up and speculation on why life can't be more simple and free; why we hibernate in our homes avoiding building community; and dreaming what our gardens will look like this summer. for an instance i felt like a normal person, finally having a good conversation with a friend. so, carol, a shout-out to you. thank you!!

i'm somewhat ready to come out of my hole -- my hiding place since my last entry. i've lived in survival mode day by day; a draining and tiring mode, but escaped to out of necessity. my grieving period is getting closer and closer as i anticipate the end of semester and when it finally comes, i will allow myself to release the grief and to start healing. until then, may i trust in the lord that i will finish this race set before me.