Its a jungle, but I am Lion.

These are my last few days in Mandeville. The town I have come to call home these past four years. Looking back now, it doesn’t seem like such a long time ago that first day when I clutched on tight to my suitcase, and dragged it behind footsteps that left prints of mild trepidation all the way along my path up hill to my new university. But the feelings have all changed now. Just yesterday, I recall mentioning to my friend with all the confidence that stems from knowing a fact, that I am the LION of this jungle.

Summer is quickly inching away, and sadly there are lots of goodbyes being said. But I will always be grateful for the memories that will remain even after all of the happy faces, the pleasant moments of reeling laughter and, the funny and kind gestures have been altered into motionless images captured in still frames of Polaroid; after all of the gregarious fun moments and merry blast sounds have been frozen to a still silence crammed with reserved moments of diligent study from a table littered with papers and textbooks. I will remain grateful for the beautiful ones I have met in this town; the beautiful ones that were sent my way this summer.

The next town I will be living in is about 90 minutes drive away from this one. Kingston. In a few days I will be moving to this sleepless city of hustle and bustle. I hope to remain the lion I have become for the next one year I have to be there; to let out a loud roar in the face of any uncertainty or apprehensive feeling. I hope to stand tall and, bring it all home - all the years of learning - to that final finish point where I can look back and say thank you Lord for carrying me all across the way.

Thank you dear Lord for giving me the strength and grace to be the Lion in this jungle.

Summer '11

There are pleasant moments embedded
within the thick layers of a dark gloomy day.
And so very often we are blessed to hear
the soft voices of laughter that reach
our inner core to reveal
the bundles of joy and brightness laying rest.

A new friendship is made;
New bonds are formed.
Be glad the sun is shining;
Be glad that it is summer.

Summer, again.

I woke up this morning to have a talk with God. And to my surprise, He made me laugh when He talked back to me. His words were real, and felt like assuring words from father to son. He knew the thoughts on my mind, the ones I had been etching about the nice girls among the group of friends I’d be spending my weekend of vacation with. I don’t want to stray, I said. He said I didn’t have to, but I should go on and have fun. I did not know that my God had a sense of humor.

It is summer, again. It has been one full year of constant pressure from rigorous college work and clinical rotations. The past five weeks I worked every weekday at the clinic attending to all manner of patient needs: Immunization at Child Health clinic; counseling and discharging of Family Planning methods; health teachings at the wellness clinic; interviews and assessment, medications administration, and tons of wound dressings at the curative clinic; a family case study with a fifty page report follow up on that. It was with much elation that I picked my bag when the clock hit 4:30pm Friday and it was time to head home. It was time for a vacation. Time for some decent rest.

This weekend I intend to have a good time; shut down all cyber activities and enjoy real conversations with real people; pack my bag and head for the coast to feel the rush of ocean wind and water bring cool and comfort to my mind and skin; and hope that when I get back Sunday it will be with a lot of refreshment - enough to last me through the whole of Fall and Spring, perhaps until summer comes around again.