One Month

Hard to believe. It’s been one month. Never would have guessed it to go by so fast!

How’s it going? Going good; surreal but good. This past week was a bit of a challenge. Got a real bad cold. Probably not as bad as I would have thought on the offset, but in a place where the choice of cold medicine products is pretty limited (to say the least), you suffer through all the symptoms. It’s amazing how much you can appreciate (or want) a good cough drop, when it’s not available. Or even access to home remedies of honey and tea and lemon. Or a good night time cold medicine to knock you out. Nope, nada, not this time. Several long nights. I’m just saying.

Missed 2 days of Spanish classes because of my cold, so not much progress on the lingo side. Worked a little on the on-line lessons, but not feeling like doing much when I was sick. Back on track now, but feeling a bit behind.

I was emailing a friend today about leaving a former life behind, and pushing forward. And seeing the joys and challenges of that process. Speaking of which, my mom calls me later that same day. And informs me that… here’s the good news….and bad. Things are going great between her and my dog. Well, now more properly stated HER dog. She has informed me that the dog is now officially hers. And she has NO PLANS of giving him back (the bad news). I know that’s a good thing, but when your dog is/was (for better or worse) a big part of your life, letting go is not easy. The right thing, but not easy. I’m glad to know Lucas is happy and she’s happy with him. But I still miss him. But, the irony is that she’s about to learn things about a human and dog bond that she may not have known before; both the joy and pain. It was a similar enlightenment when I had my first dog, Copper. Just be careful Mom, my only word of advice is… even dogs can break your heart when/if you let them in.

And for the surreal… in mean time God continues to show me a glimpse of life that people like my Mom know well, but I never did. The life of parenting, and kids 24/7, and all things there of. And no, I’m not a dad, but I’m telling you, it’s like I’ve stepped in a worm hole, and instantly this new simulated/temporary life of fatherhood. And it blows my mind. I was actually at a parent/teacher school conference last night getting the period grades for Marsil, (while his mom was at the university taking night classes for her master’s in psychology). Marsil asked me to go and I was glad I did. But, talk about surreal. Probably not unlike my mom waking up one day and realizing the last thing she every thought would happen… a dog living 24/7 INSIDE her house – and she loves Lucas! And me, going to a teacher/parent conference, and actually feeling like it was a place where I was suppose to be for that moment (this season). Too weird, way too weird. And before that, I’m running around signing the kids up for swim lessons; going to the clinic to get their lab results (routine school stuff); dropping bills by the utility companies; grabbing some food for all of us on the way. But I’m in SANTIAGO, DR with this family I didn’t even know 30 days ago.

So, Mom has Lucas, and I have Paul and Marsil (for a season). Each is a great challenge in their own way. And it’s still touch and go cause I don’t have a clue for what I’m doing (I can hear God saying, “You think Paul is touch and go, you should see my son Norm!”). And yes I’ve had to say “I’m sorry” several times to them for things I know I didn’t handle well. I may never know true blood fatherhood to a 12 and 15 year old, but I’m glad I got this glimpse.

And the funny thing is, life is so routine. So day in, day out. But not in a bad way. I can definitely get a glimps as to how time slips away; and kids are grown and gone. Each day we’re up; off to school (all of us); home early afternoon. Chores and running around. Joke and play. Homework; eat; daily wrap up; off to bed. Day after day. And my time here slips away so fast; too fast.

Went with some great new friends to the beach (Ava and Jose Luis), along with Roberta (an incredible friend in her own right!) and her son Thomas from Haiti this past weekend. And all of them are a huge blessing to me.

One last thing. I’ve set a record. For automobile accidents (Luckson would say incidents). I’m hoping he’s not reading this or I’ll never live this down. I’ve actually been hit three (3) times by taxi drivers in the past 2 weeks. I was hit twice!!! Twice!! In one day!! Two drivers rear ended me. The third one, I’d had enough. I jump out and started talking, not quite yelling, but certainly making sure he could hear me (but of course not understanding English) that this was the third time I was hit; twice in one day and he needed to learn how to drive. In the mean time, Paul and Marsil (of course they’re with me) are laughing up a storm. There was no major damage to the car, so we went on. But seriously, rear ended twice in one day. Both times, I was at a complete stop and bam. These drivers are very very crazy. I tell Nidia later, and she gets a good laugh too. It is kinda funny, now!

Headed to a big family get together this evening (Sunday). A cousin's 18th birthday party. Here we go again!