Homebodies - A ‘do exactly what I want’ day
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- Published on Sunday, March 13, 2016
By Rita Friesen
The Neepawa Banner
Today I excelled at resting. To all appearances the day could have been described as wasted. I wasn’t just procrastinating, I wasn’t lazy. I simply spent the day as I wished.
The day started with a bit of a sleep-in, all of eight o’clock! Took time to stop by the coffee shop, pick up the mail, check in on the new arrivals at ‘shop on the corner’ (my place of peace!), raked the snow off the shed roof, took the dogs for a walk, played games online, chatted with a sister, a cousin and a grandchild. Dinner was balanced, so I repeated the menu for supper. I am no connoisseur, if the cheese isn’t mouldy and the lettuce still green, I’m good.
It isn’t often that I spend such a relaxing, do exactly what I want day. I had been on call for the weekend at the Brandon Hospital Complex. Busy enough to have the time go quickly and slow enough to get in visiting and reading. And then Monday was a school day. (Last assigned weekend on call, two Mondays of classes left!) Perhaps it was the reading that caused me to require a quiet, reflective day. First booklet was ‘Handbook for Chaplains – Comfort My People’ by Mary M. Toole. It isn’t assigned reading, but it is recommended. A quote that resonated with me as one who accompanies others on their final journey –“Be there for the person. Look into the person’s eyes, touch his or her hands, or breathe with the same rhythm. It is not always necessary to say or do something.” I like that.
The second book was 165 pages of challenging thoughts and images. ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl. From the back cover– “Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experiences and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward.” I have to admit I resorted to my ‘safe’ way of reading. Read a few pages here and skip to there, read the last pages to see if I can handle the conclusion, and by the end of the day I had completely read the book in digestible bits and bites. Again it was not assigned, but recommended reading and I would recommend it as well!
The third and final book was, in some ways, an easier read. ‘The Diving -Bell and the Butterfly’ by Jean-Dominique Bauby, is dictated with the blink of an eyelid, his only means of communicating. Bauby suffered a massive stroke and devised his own method of letting his needs and wants be known. Wonderfully written, the book records his thoughts, memories and his life. Again, not assigned, but recommended, and again I recommend it! No wonder I needed a down day!
