But in her dreams she's far away

A new year. Mine began with an hour of yoga followed by an hour of meditation. Later, I read from The Teachings of Don Juan and tried to take a nap while listening to Ram Dass speak from my iPod. It was a productive day.

Christmas was a mixed bag. It felt good being with family, but my father's absence was an open wound. In the morning, my mother and I drove out to my sister's place in Ashburnham. Strange not having Christmas at my parent's house, but what hasn't felt strange these days?

A couple of days later, I was inflicted with a nasty stomach bug. I spent the first night in misery with bloated stomach and cramps. The next morning found me setting up shop in the bathroom with some thunder from down under. And then I broke out in hives from top to bottom. Never had hives before. Wonderful.

Fortunately, I was hale enough to attend my father's burial service last Friday. It didn't last long, but it stayed with me the entire day. My mother's grief is still profound; I am helpless before it. She is a strong woman, though, and will get through it. I offer her what little comfort I can provide. I wish I could do more.

Saw The Hobbit over the weekend with Spira, Pam, Pat, Allie, and Theresa. It was my first IMAX experience and, to steal a phrase from the youth among us, it was fucking awesome! A thrill ride, to be sure. Afterward, Spira, Allie, and I went to Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge for dinner. We all had a visceral reaction to the movie and spent some time going over it as we ate our omelets (Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, Spira ordered a sweet potato dish served with rice and collard greens. Glad I got that off my chest).

A new year. Since my dad passed away, I've been either sick, deep in grief, or both. Added to that, though, has been grace, which I covered in a previous post. It hasn't been all bad; far from it. From St. Paul, Corinthians 12:9:

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I take comfort and glean strength from those words. Any ally in these troubled, disruptive times has been welcome. Not all bad, no.

Happy New Year, readers.