Marie: Sunday night, Walter drove me to the airport. I was getting on a red-eye to go to Costa Rica, and Walter insisted that he would take me. The last time he and I were at LAX together, was April the 9th, when Del and I picked him up at UCLA to take him to Omaha on a wing and a prayer – our last ditch effort to save his life.Back then, he couldnt drive. He could barely sit up! And he had to get carried in and out of the car. And here we are - seven months later. He is driving the Suburban – our tank of a car – Dylan is doing homework in the backseat, and I am in the passenger seat just marveling. I watch his hands on the steering wheel; I look at his profile in the dark while the street lights and headlights of the opposing traffic light his face intermittently. We blast up the freeway together. His big voice fills the car as we talk back and forth about all and nothing on our way. I was fairly quiet. I had had a headache for days that wouldn’t go away and an unexplainable sense of fatigue and trepidation about the trip. A kaleidoscope of emotions ran through my body. As soon as I got on the plane, I fell asleep. I slept the whole way. Waking up as we were landing, I felt as if I could sleep for a month. When I got to Theresa’s beautiful place, she served me breakfast, and then I went to sleep again! Right now I am eating a piece of Kaluha filled chocolate after an entire day at the spa with Theresa. My headache is gone. I feel at peace. I just spoke with Walter, and he and the boys are doing great at home. Our 18 year old, Mike voted today for the first time, and Walter took him. Walter also worked out a snafu with regards to my cell phone company for me – they had charged me $150 in data charges for my first 24 hours here in Costa Rica, even though I had barely used it. He got them to refund it, as they had sold me a data plan for the trip that was invalid… whew! He also took one of the kids to the doctor; he took them to get passport photos taken…. Routine stuff, but stuff I did NOT have to do! So I was in the hot tub today while Walter was at home with the kids holding down the fort – I cannot express what a gift it is. I am here with one of my dearest friends. We talk, we are quiet, and we explore the surroundings. Today was just pure indulgence. The spa overlooked a tropical landscape, perched on the edge of a hill with a view of the valley. Theresa and I had our own hut with a Jacuzzi, where we could relax between the treatments – and where they also served us lunch. Tomorrow I will work on my dissertation – and Theresa will work on hers. We are fellow students who share much more than just the love of learning. Maybe this moment in time feels so much sweeter because I experience it on a backdrop of the anxiety and stress that has been trailing me for the past year and a half. I choose to trust that I can unplug and not have the home front unravel in my absence; that we wont have some horrible setback happen for Walter while I am gone. I relax into the sweetness of being for a little while and feel held and supported. Outside, the sounds of the jungle caress my auditory nerve. I hear a dog bark somewhere in the distance. The breeze gently flows through the room, and a confused rooster clears his throat in anticipation of fulfilling his duties first thing in the morning. -
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 09:28:06 +0000
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