Thursday, June 3, 2021

A DAY OF MY LIFE

 Today, I thought I would do a personal schedule article, like a live vlog does. The style is different in that I am just journaling. 

So, I get up at around 6.30 when my first alarm goes off and I am so tempted to hit the snooze button. But I push myself up off my mat. These days we are sleeping on the floor, Dan and I and we have taken the diwan into the bedroom so Aaron can sleep with us. (Dan still wets the bed so Glenn got him a rexin mattress.) 

The first thing I like to do even before I brush my teeth is to set the kitchen in order. This means putting the dried up vessels from the baskets into their designated places. I feel a sense of achievement just seeing my kitchen clean and ready for the day. 

I then brush my teeth and tidy up my hair, sometimes I change into day clothes but like today, sometimes I don't. Then I go to say my morning prayers - The Morning Offering, Consecration to the Holy Family prayer, Psalm 91, Litany of Loreto, Litany to St Joseph and recently I added Psalm 51. This takes me around 15 mins or so. After that, I either hear Mass or if like today I want to hear live Mass at a fixed time, I will go to get breakfast items prepped. 

The boys get up later, around 10 am; Dan gets up sometimes even later. So, I don't prepare the breakfast until they get up. After mass, if I am hungry, I eat a fruit or my nut-n- dry fruit mix and if I still feel hungry, I will prepare breakfast only for myself. 

Once the boys get up, and breakfast is over, its time for some Bible study then Homeschool for Dan. At 12 noon, we say the Angelus then I go to prep lunch. We normally eat only by 2 pm or later since Dan is not hungry enough before that (since he has breakfast only by 11 am).

Sometimes, I get Aaron to prep lunch but 90% of the time, I do lunch and dinner prep myself.We have made a small opening in the wall between the kitchen and hall so our dining table is near this opening. This helps me immensely. I can pass plates, etc and even dishes of food directly instead of going right around. Also, I like to send the chapattis as they are being roasted straight to the boys when they are eating food. 

Ok, lunch over and I am now drowsy but I push myself to finish washing the pile of dirty dishes before I go for my nap. Aaron is usually on his mobile and Dan also watches with him so I shut the door and sleep on the floor. Initially I used to find it very difficult to get up from the floor but now my body is getting used to it. However, once it gets colder, we will use the bed - I don't want to catch a cold. A slight chest congestion could turn into wheezing then an asthmatic attack. I try to avoid that at all costs. 

I wake up around 5 pm, make tea and a light snack; these days we have only been eating biscuits. Since. I want us to finish supper by 9 pm latest, I start preparing food around  7 pm then we can eat around 8.30 or so. Boys have their baths as I cook, I have only after I finish cooking and giving the food to them, wiping down the counters. 

After supper, we are with our mobiles, yes, me too. By 10 pm, the boys take Ebony for her walk and I do the final washing of vessels and wiping of all three tables in the kitchen. I like to see that there is nothing left to do so that when I get up next morning, my routine is uninterrupted. 

By 10.30 we say our family rosary and by 11.30 we are off to bed. Sometimes, Dan is in a talkative mood and I try to answer his questions. Then, we get to sleep only by 1-2 am. Thankfully, he is homeschooled so I don't feel stressed doing this. 

I try to keep a timetable but sometimes I forget, I get carried away especially if there's something interesting on the mobile that I am researching. We don't have TV or a computer. I do my blogging on my mobile. Many times I have thought about buying a laptop but I talk myself out of it. 

The boys will tell you, I am with my mobile the whole day. I take it to the kitchen when I'm cooking so I can listen to music as I work. I am constantly on Facebook, posting things I do and learn. The habit of teaching has not left me, I guess.  

I am planning to go on a Facebook fast. Don't know whether I can do it but I must try. Just one post per day. What do you all think,eh? Have any if you gone on a social media fast? What was your experience? Do share in comments. 

My day is not over now, supper will be kitchdi, only for the boys since I fast today for the intercessions on our prayer group. I keep an alarm to remind me when to start and when to end. 

I also have numerous alarms during the day to remind me to stop and pray, just for 5 mins maximum. I like to pray spontaneously. 

Besides these alarms, I also keep alarms for any meetings I have to attend online. I attend intercessory prayer group meetings, MFC meetings, Heralds talks, etc. So, as and when they come up, I keep the alarm so I don't forget. 

Before I go to sleep, I have an alarm to do a quick examen of conscience. Its really helpful to do it and ask God for forgiveness and to ask Him to help you change. It gives you a chance to review your day in the process so you can make suitable and necessary changes for the next day. I struggle with this though as I am so tired in body but when I have done it, I have seen good results. 


A friend, Andrew Felix Viera sent me this prayer which I like very much  and say

Night Prayer

 Father God, thank you for all the blessings that you have given me this day. Thank you for making me feel that you want the best for me and that you are always willing to help me so that I can overcome all the difficulties I have. Thank you because despite my failures and mistakes you are blessing my life every day. 

Now I want to give my heart to You so that You can transform it and make it a heart that does not have hurts, resentment, or hatred.  I ask You for a new heart capable of loving and forgiving. Do not let anything disturb me or take away the peace that You give me day by day.
 
 I want to solve problems but I want to do it with the joy that your Holy Spirit puts in the hearts of those you love, so now I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit and make me stand firm in the face of difficulties and not to be afraid of anything.  Give me the opportunity to be serene and calm so as not to let myself go crazy in any situations that I live every day.  May I feel that I trust You and that is the source of my peace.
 
 I put tomorrow in your hands, convinced that this is the safest place I have.  Bless my life while I sleep, so that with your immense love and mercy you give me calm and remove from me all those fears that do not let me sleep.  I trust in your protection and I abandon myself into your hands. I ask you that while I sleep, you show me with clarity and certainty that I am not wrong in my decisions. Show me what Your Will is.  Amen. 


2 comments:

  1. About the social media fast, I've thought about it, but after the cyclonic winds we had no wifi for 8 days. I realised it would certainly drive us all insane. Especially now that we are all indoors all day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. About the social media fast, I've thought about it, but after the cyclonic winds we had no wifi for 8 days. I realised it would certainly drive us all insane. Especially now that we are all indoors all day.

    ReplyDelete