Just a few more days for the exam, and I settled down to work early in the morning – at 6.30. It’s not so early in our household because we all used to wake up at 5 every morning on weekdays. Three kids had to get ready, have breakfast and leave the house by 6.15 so that they won’t get caught to the ridiculous amount of traffic that builds up on Galle road. A delay of 5 minutes, and my daughter will not reach her school in Colombo by 7.45 (that’s the time classes start). But there is no school run now. Everyone is home in front of their computers. One and a half years have gone by with a couple of short-lived physical school re-openings.
Its raining this morning. Good day to study. I have a room for myself right above the kitchen. I love it here because it has my stuff – the sewing machine (dusty – because, I really can’t sew. But I did manage to make a quilt, once!), my paints and brushes and various art papers – (I am not an artist, but I like to be surrounded by colors and paper and just dabble), and my many books (er…I can read and I do).
When I came in this morning, I thought I had to take this picture – I thought of the many times my mom used to tell me to clean my room. As you can see, I didn’t learn. But I still love listening to Jordan Peterson when he says – make your bed before you go trying to change the world! I try. Not for my sake, but because I am a counselor for many young people and I feel like I am letting them down if I don’t clean up. Some of them do have problems getting organized and I have wise words for them. But, I allow them and myself some room to be messy. I call it being ‘creative’. They call it ‘creative genius’. We share a good laugh. This is not my counseling room, by the way. The counseling center is closed down because of the lockdowns and curfews (only online work these days). It was looking a little sad and lonely – so I gave it a grassy facelift recently. I love this place because its surrounded by all that greenery. When my clients visit, they say they love the energy of this place. I think I know what they mean.
I do miss being there. I mean its not far away – its just next door! But now that I have settled down at home to do all the counseling and studies from my room above the kitchen, with the smell of curries and fried tidbits floating up to me, I guess I am happy to be here. For now. I have already put on a few kilos. I do hope for the sake of good health (which I keep preaching about), I could go back to the counseling center, far from our kitchen, and welcome my clients back to the center. But that day seems far away.
Now it is 10.30 in the night and I am here in my room writing this. Reflecting back on a blessed day. The rain in the morning meant that I didn’t have to water the garden. Telecom people came and fixed our wi-fi connection – bless them! I am the same weight as last week because my daughter missed a hat-trick and didn’t bake cookies – praise the Lord! And I thought I would practice what I preach and do a journal entry for today – and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
Varuni Fernando 