Bamboo thicket out the window.
I got a ride to treatment today with a friend Jessika. A nice change of pace not to have to battle the traffic. We jabbered away the whole time. She works with the new people coming into the Church at St. John Vianney’s. I’m a fairly new person there I feel sometimes but been there four years this Easter. Anyway she was after my conversion story so she had me captured in the car for two hours. So we did that pretty much and maybe there are a few items that we forgot and we have two hours this afternoon to finish up.
Just like knowing Jessika I am being so thankful for all the great people in my life, thousands of them it seems like. What a blessing. What a healing tool or opportunity. I am buoyed up by every single one of them and I hopefully do something for them in the process. We learn from Erica de America that community is an important factor in healing and I have a massive one in both number and quality. Thank you all, sincerely.
It is starting to brighten up outside the window. Folks here are so sick of the rainy early spring weather. We are on the brink but it is so hard to wait for. I’m not whining myself, just heard others. Hehe.
So nice to sit here and do nothing today, well nothing physical. I was off lumberjacking the last two days and am exhausted. Yesterday afternoon after our walk I felt all the muscles in my body quiver like most of the time on the Camino. Just that feeling that I took a thousand too may steps. Sound familiar?
OK, I have my PT person coming in, have to go. So great to hang out with you. Leave a comment when you get a chance. Love, Felipe.
The best part of your community is that they bouy me up too! Well, and that you’re in it. Adore you, Felipe. Maybe 10,000 too many steps at once but one at a time they are each perfect for our journey. Love to you!
Hi Esther, how’s things there in Monterey? Thanks for adoring on my treatment day. I am covered in tubes and rubber gloves like some mad kid’s science project. I am close to the end of my chemo and really antsy, need to whistle for my horse and get the heck out of here. Love you too, Felipe.
Just a quick comment to let you know: I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. You inspire, bring laughter, and insight. Your sharing about the beauty around you causes me to slow down and notice the beauty around me. Thank you for sharing your writing with us.
-Joy
Thank you so much Joy, what lovely comment. See this is what makes it all worthwhile for me. And we all feed off each other so the energy just goes round and round. Ooh, I like that. When are you coming down to Vashon? Nice moon out, speaking of beauty. Felipe.x
Felipe: As I am in the midst of teaching my Educational Specialist class and the teacher action research class; I am consequently heavily buried in many strands of research. All quite fascinating to me. But it strikes me as coincidential that while we need community to heal, learning theorists have for more that 150 years observed that learning occurs best through socialization. That is how communication and emotions develop best and hence the refinement of our cognitive abilities. We use the theories of Piaget, Erickson, Vygotsky, Bandura, Watson, Stern and many others upon which we structure classroom instruction, curriculum and assessment. Some of these guys believed we learn through cause and effect, observable behaviors have an action and a reaction, an anecedent and a consequence. While the other guys believe that our emotional growth is more developmental; that we all pass through stages of emotional development upon which our cognitive growth is dependent. But either way they all emphasize the importance of social interaction in the development of cognitive, social, emotional and communicative growth. And so it seems only logical that our health and healing would align with this. If you believe in “positive mental attitude” then you know the mind can often out wit the body. I Can not emphasize to folks the power of good positive social interactions no matter what age or what life crisis you may be experiencing! All my best to you Felipe, Professor Dr. Sorvig, but most importantly “The Handler”
Carol ~ I just love hangin with my doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs. Man, that was quite a lesson there. But I get it and the idea of community is so important. And a community of pilgrims is like the ultimate, right? Saint James is your uncle! I am so so immensely fortunate, so immensely blessed. Thank you for the handling. Felipe.x
You are so welcome!
Jessika ~ thanks for coming today to walk. We got a lot done. Right now licking my wounds after the Zags loss. Just back from Kelly’s. See you soon, Felipe.x