March 11: Abba Moses, Projectile Vomit, Kalahari Resort

I have been reading the apophthegmata, the sayings of fourth- and fifth-century Egyptian desert hermits.  Abba Moses said to a disciple, "Go and sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything."

Yes, Dillard talks about the necessity for silence.  For going to your cell, sitting there, and listening.  In silence, that's when you can hear the answers you need.  The what Dillard says.  When Abba Moses says.  What the Bible says.  That's what Jesus did in the Bible every once in a while.  He had to go away by Himself.

I am sitting in my house.  Alone.  My wife and kids are at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells.  It has been a very long day.  I didn't sleep last night at all.

At about midnight, my son came into our bedroom and threw up all over the floor.  I'm not talking a little urp.  I'm talking projectile vomit.  It's wasn't pretty.  And, for the rest of the night, he kept on throwing up.

I felt horrible for him, because I thought he wasn't going to be able to go on the trip.  In the morning, he kept throwing up until I gave him a dose of Motrin.  Between heaving his guts up, he kept crying.  No, actually, weeping.  Eventually, he stopped throwing up.  And, eventually, he got into the car with them and left.

I am quite lonely tonight.  I like solitude.  However, this is three days of solitude, interrupted by short moments of interaction.  I don't like being alone that much.  Work today was difficult.  Coming home to an empty house was difficult.  Writing this post hasn't been easy, either.  With all due respect to Abba Moses, my cell isn't teaching me anything this evening.

Maybe Saint Marty should just crack open the bottle of Bailey's in the cupboard.

Been there, done that . . .