March 3rd, 2013: Grateful

I am sitting at my computer at home, after a good long day of ministry, drinking a glass of moscato white wine.  In a good way, exhaustion overtakes my body.  It's amazing how much I love my job.  When I was interviewing for this position last year I remember telling Fr. Lawrence and Anthony, that I am my most authentic self when I am ministering to college students.  I knew that statement was true -  but I am amazed at how much God is challenging me to grow to become an even better version of myself through my interactions with all of these students.  My level of prayer and reflection is deeper and my daily mass attendance has even increased.  The sense of community that exists at the Catholic Center is so very reminiscent of the Catholic Community at UCSD, even though the communities are very different.  I cannot describe the gratitude I feel that God has given me this opportunity to minister at the USC Caruso Catholic Center.  I can only hope that God is using me to the best of God's ability to minister to the students in the way that they need it.        

Now to an update about my mami.  First a caveat, my mami asked that I read her all of the blog posts I have written since the start of her experience with GBS.  After I finished reading the posts she asked me to take notes on what she wanted me to write about.  Most of the thoughts below were directly given to me from my mami.  However, since its written by me it will be in first-person.       

Yesterday, Mike, Sofia and I visited with my parents again.  My mami was noticeably better.  Since she arrived to the physical rehabilitation facility on Wednesday, she has been on a 4 hour daily regimen of healing - rotating between occupational, physical and speech therapies.  

The night before last, due to pain, my mami only slept 4 hours.  She actually missed her first speech therapy appointment yesterday because she was sleeping.  The therapist tried waking her up but my mami was in very deep sleep.  However, with persistence and by the grace of God, the therapist got permission to work overtime, with my mami, in the later afternoon.  

While my mami napped in the afternoon I went to the Oxnard Public Library and checked out some books on CD for her.  Some of the subject matters included, Mother Theresa, Greg Boyle SJ's Tattoos on the Heart, and a book on Pope John Paul II.  When I brought her the books later that afternoon she was thrilled.  Immediately, she wanted to hear Fr. Greg Boyle's book!  She was excited to find out that in less than two weeks I am going to go with a group of students to see Fr. Greg feature a new film about Homeboy Industries.    

My mami told me that a deacon came to visit her and gave her spiritual communion (since she cannot consume anything through her mouth yet) and my dad received communion.  She told me that her and the deacon spoke at length about humility.  As most of you know, Pope Benedict resigned.  My mami feels a connection to Pope Benedict...she feels like she needs to be humble like him.  She needs to allow God to use this time to work on her relationship with God.  She also said she needs this time to work on herself rather than on other worldly things.  She will never take what she has for granted.      
Lastly my mami wants to thank everyone for all the cards and flowers that you have sent her.  She describes her room like a garden.

I am going to visit my mami and papi again this Wednesday.  I am looking forward to spending more time with them.  Ever since we moved to California in September I have tried very hard to spend time with my family as often as I can.  I even remember telling my mami before she got ill that we never know how long we have with each other on this earth and therefore we must cherish the time we have with one another.  I am so grateful that I have a job I love that is near where my parents live.  I am also so blessed to have a husband and daughter, Sofia, that give me the energy and support I need to be the person God created me to be.