Circle of life

Busy this week.


On Tuesday I needed to go to Lawra to get money from the bank. The tro was looking like it would take awhile to fill and getting a ride back is ALWAYS a pain so I rode my bicycle. Lawra is 20 miles one way – part dirt roads and part pavement. It would have been easier if I had a front derailer, lighter bike, better tires, this, that, and the other thing. The ride down in the cool morning was relatively easy. The ride back in the heat of the day with the wind in my face was hard. The last 5 miles was very difficult. My left knee still hurts a little, nothing major, but just an old man ache.

I don't know if the bike ride is a sign that I'm physically healthy or mentally ill.

On Thursday I gave the math end of term exam. Thursday was also the last day of class.

On Friday I went 10 miles away to see a volunteer working on a world map project (more on this in a future blog with the project is finished. Basically, this is a mural of the world map drawn at a school or other public place so people can get a perspective of places.) From my perspective the trip there and back was another 20 miles on the bike.

On Saturday, December 20th, I wanted to grade the exams and relax and rest up my knee. My neighbor Roger wanted me to go to a funeral some distance away. He said it was important as the woman who was widowed was from this community and had moved to this other town. Therefore this community needed to send a good group of people to attend the funeral and show proper respect.

So I decided to go. Anyway he said it would only take an hour or two. We ended up spending just about the entire day there for a number of reasons. So no time to grade papers and little time to think of other things.

Being involved, integrated into the community like this, where your presence is important and noticed, is part of what makes the Peace Corps effective and what will help me get things done in the future. Still is was a trying day.

Memory of a passing


Saturday, December 20, is an important date for me and my family. December 20, 2012 was the day that my wife Theresa took her last breath. 4:04 am, peacefully at home with the Divine Mercy Chaplet playing in the background to that long last breath. Two years on and I think about her everyday. I use that fact that she is still in control of my heart as the explanation for not wanting a new wife from Ghana. An idea that is floated by the locals from time to time.

I am lonely at times, but every Peace Corps Volunteer feels lonely at times, particularly this time of year. We are generally the only white person in our community and there are things that we do that drive the locals crazy. Don't get me started on things the locals do to drive us crazy at times. Still, I cannot say that the loneliness is a burden and certainly not overwhelming. I'm not dwelling on the past or what has been lost.

The volunteer I visited on Friday is an older volunteer who is widowed. So we have things in common and can talk at a different level than I can with the twenty somethings in my group. I'm also talking with another widow / Returned Peace Corps Volunteer via Facebook. She has been widowed for some time now. There are other people in similar situations so talking about things helps one another.

Christmas Time


Christmas is a few days away. The holiday the last two years have been hard for obvious reasons. This time around I'm away from family, malls, shopping, Christmas music, Christmas decorations, cold weather, and the like. It does not feel or look like Christmas.

I do actually have one Christmas decoration that my wonderful daughter Samantha sent. A felt Christmas tree that I put on top of my mosquito net so I can see it when I lay down and before I get up. Above the tree is the dream catcher that she made as a Christmas present a few years back. She made one for Theresa and one for me that year. The dream catcher was one of the tokens from home I brought with me.

Christmas tree and dream catcher on top of mosquito net
(Sorry about the tee-shirt in background - it is on a cloths line as I don't have a walk in closet, any closet, in this place)

Such tokens from home as well as things like the tree in care packages help bridge the distance for Peace Corps volunteers young and old.



So far this entry is somewhat depressing, right ??? So I need to end on an up note.



An arrival


On Thursday I got the news that the doctors were going to induce labor for my daughter-in-law, Missy.

She and my son Chris originally thought that the baby would arrive early next year, but indications pointed to an early delivery. This was to be their first child and my first grandchild. Signs were that the delivery would be Thursday or Friday at the latest.

On Friday I continued to receive updates that things were still not progressing fast and as I'm six hours ahead went to bed not knowing if the baby would be born on Friday or not. At one point because of the time difference I was able to say volunteers in Ghana that “I don't know if I will be a grandfather today or yesterday.”

As it turns out the delivery was 8:11 am Central Standard Time on Saturday --- the 20th. Baby Andrew was born 7.5 lbs and 21 inches. Theresa's mom reports that that was her birth stats as well. Seems strange how things work sometimes.

Baby Andrew - First day
My daughter Samantha holding Andrew

My son Chris and grandson
I'm a little short of pictures but as a new grandfather I expect I will get AND post more in the future.

I'm looking forward to holding the little guy, but that will be about 7 months from now.


So while I will remember Theresa the 20th of December will now have a new more hopeful meaning and the family can more easily give thanks during this season of thanks and blessing.



As a former British Colony - Happy Christmas.



Love to all, love always,

John

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