Nana korobi, ya oki (literally: seven falls, eight getting up)
Today, I fell down. . .a couple of times! And yet, I got back up with a smile.
By no stretch of the imagination was today a perfect day. But it did start off BEAUTIFULLY!
I woke up to discover that my course: We Out was 75% full. Ruth and I celebrated by sipping hot lemon ? and ? honey water while we watched the sunrise.
Sounds perfect, right? It was. It was a beautiful moment, but moments come and go. It was all good till it wasn’t!
I decided to take a remote photo of Ruth and I on the balcony and my camera and tripod fell over and when I turned my camera back on, I kept getting an error message that said the lens wasn’t attached, even though it was. . and no matter how many times I took it out and reattached, I got the same sorry message!!
I googled how to fix the problem and as I was watching a youtube video on the topic, my toddler took the mop that was drying on the balcony and tossed it over. Did I mention, I live on a cliff? A VERY VERY steep cliff!!
I decided I would get a head start on the day and took out the garbage. A mundane taste but necessary. . .NOONE LIKE A stinky house or at least NO ONE SHOULD like a stinky house!
I took. the garbage out. . WASHED MY HANDS (cause hand hygiene is a MUST) and then proceeded to make Ruth breakfast and listen to my morning affirmations.
The “good” light for photography was disappearing so I figured I might as well do some rock climbing and retrieve the mop, since I had gotten no where with repairing my camera.
But let’s just say, there is a reason, even when I was a climber, I was never into free soloing!
I scuffled up the side of the climb and retrieved the mop and managed to make it down safely.
THE DEVIL is a LIAR! Perhaps, I did have rock climbing talent. I managed to shower and get dressed just in time for my first call fo the day which got abruptly canceled . . .because, well. . .these things happen!
Then my internet went retro and went back to the AOL waiting and waiting days which almost drove me mad.
I called the company because internet is BAE and BAE can NOT go out on me int he midst of social distancing. Mama got bills to pay!! And of course the company has to send out a tech and of course I’m like well internet is an essential utility. . .I can’t go without it but then again there is RONA!!!
Luckily, my modem and other supporting devices are actually on my balcony which means the tech could work outside while Ruth and I watch him like we would watch zoo animals.
I had to push back one call until they were done. But after the technical difficulties, I had INTERNET so I was HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!
I quickly set up my outdoor work space for my next call. I sat up a water play station forRuth so I could watch her while I work.
Guess what Ruth did while I was setting it up. She was taking the mop and tossing it over the balcony again! yes, again! The exact same balcony on the cliff.
I hop on my Zoom call, cause work pays the bills, and I don’t have time to retrieve the mop.
I’m 5 minutes into the live video Zoom call when I hear a grunting and look behind me and see my potty training daughter pooping on the floor – LIVE on the ZOOM. She then steps in it, starts screaming and running in and out of the house with poop covered feet.
I am a professional so I say my concluding thoughts and wrap up the call.
I grab my poop covered child and put her in the bath tub and scrub her down. I get her dried, off, put a diaper on her and get her dressed. I put her in bed with her Amazon Fire and a pacifier.
NOW, I need to clean up the mess that is my balcony and house. But my mop is on the cliff!
I lock Ruth in the bedroom cause it is the safest place possible and had back to base camp – the start of my last climb. I scale the cliff quickly and grab the mop and think that wasn’t so bad as I make my way back down. I lose my footing and slip on some loose rocks and end of sliding like big kids sliding board slide down down down the cliff 9but unlike a sliding board, it was NOT smooth. But I hold onto the mop while I slide. I AM NOT LOSING THE MOP!
I finally stop and I pick up my battered and bloody 41 year old body, mop in hand and head back to my house.
I guess while I was occupied, animals visited my trash cans and garbage is spread everywhere. Did I mention that Guatemala like lots of countries doesn’t have a piping system to support the flushing of toliet paper and today was bathroom trash day, so diapers and shitty toilet paper plus used tampons are EVERYWHERE!!
BUT I still have the mop!
So I clean it ALL up!
Then, I head inside my house and cleanup the balcony and floor. Finally, I shower and put on fresh clothes.
And now, here I sit, clean but sore, frustrated but happy. I’m booked solid with calls all afternoon.
I’m taking a bit of me time in my hammock. I’m looking out at my gorgeous lake and I’m thinking HELL YEAH, this AM was TOUGH but you know what. . I AM TOUGHER!
The morning didn’t go as planned. I struggled! I literally and figuratively fell down. I had to clean up shit. But I am here dammit. I made it. I will be damned if one morning is going to destroy the joy that I have in my life. Is my life always EASY? No. But do I love it? HELL, yes.
And as I sit here and type, a butterfly is fluttering around me. A butterfly is how my late daughter communicates with me and I know that it will ALL be okay. I know that this morning has passed and I live in the present and the present has promise. The present has joy.
I cannot control what has happened to me. But I can live in love and light. I can fall down and clean up shit and know that it always gets better.
Nana korobi, ya oki (literally: seven falls, eight getting up)
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