We had a successful trip to Lima that landed us back in town at about bedtime last night.  I had my day for today pretty much planned out in order to be ready for guests to arrive early tomorrow morning.  My priorities were grocery shopping, laundry, lunch preparations, house setup (down to the details), and our third gardening workshop at the library this afternoon.

Then I got a call that threw most of that out the window and my whole day into perspective.  I found out that the mother of my good friend and Spanish tutor for a year now, Jeannett, died suddenly yesterday.  For some reason, I felt like it pegged me right between the eyes.  She is my age.  Her mother was ill last week, but she had suddenly died of a heart attack.  It was unexpected.  I was distraught on her behalf and it took me half the day to realize it and just let everything else slide. 

So this afternoon Kyle and I experienced another Peruvian first, a funeral.  I won’t go into detail, because that doesn’t really matter.  But it struck me that this was the first time I have had an opportunity to support a Peruvian friend in a time of emotion for them.  I may never know if I did anything right, but I didn’t care.  I figured I just needed to show up and that would probably translate.  I hugged her, cried with her, told her I love her and that I am so sorry.  And I had never met her mother; my heart just broke for my friend.

I still haven’t done any laundry.  We ended up pulling soup out of the freezer for lunch.  I skipped the workshop (sorry, Greg!) and left Shaye with Manuela.  I shaved my list of “must do” to the bare minimum. 

And I’m perfectly fine with it.  What do those things matter anyway?

posted by Larissa