My Burkina Journal: Leaving Paris for Chicago

I had a heavy heart in Paris, watching my messages for news on my sister Karin. The news has not been good. She has been diagnosed with lung cancer, it has metastasized, and is in a pretty advanced stage. She is so weak that she cannot tolerate chemotherapy. And, worst of all, she is in complete denial--which is so very sad.

My sister Karin last January

I lost my father a year ago at the end of October, and am still feeling despondent about that. Before leaving for Paris, I had been visiting my mother in Vernon Hills, Illinois. It was a difficult time as she herself suffers from short-term memory loss brought on by anesthesia administered during surgery 3 years ago. Perhaps, in her case this mitigates the pain somewhat.

My mother

While at my mother's, I had been reading a biography in French on the life of St.Thèrese de Lisieux, whose parents, Louis et Zélie Martin, had just been canonized this past October. The book had good print, short chapters, and was easily accessible, so was a fairly easy read. If you know nothing about St. Thèrese, suffice it to say that growing up in late nineteenth century France, even of reasonably comfortably off Catholic parents, could be difficult, and poor Thèrese, the youngest of nine children, lost her own mother as a child. Several of her siblings she never knew as they barely survived childbirth, and Thèrese herself, died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. Hardly cheerful reading, but as I sit here in my apartment, I find myself now reading Thèrese's own autobiography, l'Histoire d'une âme [out of copyright so a free download], and am finding it fascinating in that there is not resignation on her part, but welcome acceptance and joy. Maybe it suits my melancholy spirit right now in the light of the current events in my own life. As a Protestant, I find the Marian cult annoying at times, but it doesn't detract from her writing.

I have decided to change my travel plans and to add a brief trip back to the US, flying out tomorrow, January 14. It will be the exact same day I was supposed to leave for Burkina Faso. I have been traveling light--with one medium large suitcase filled with clothes, shoes, a few food items, and a few small items that my friend Fina had asked me to bring--shoes she ordered from Amazon, several iPhone products, and some cheese which I bought for her in Paris. On my flight to Ouagadougou, I'd planned to carry on a small roller-bag containing my laptop in its case, supplies for the library, and some personal things. I'd also added a few food items that are expensive, or hard-to-find in Burkina Faso. But all this can wait. Since I have an apartment here in Paris I will just leave the summer stuff here temporarily, put the food in the refrigerator, and take the clothes I keep stored here back with me to Chicago. That way I'll have something to wear in the colder winter weather. Right now it is 12 degrees F there and it's nearly noon.

Fina's stuff before I packed them at home in Rockville

With the exception of the first two days, the weather in Paris had been gray, rainy and raw so it was more fun being inside a good bit of the time. I spent yesterday morning walking to the SFR store [my phone, Internet, and television provider], then on the phone with customer service trying to figure out why the remote control doesn't work on my television decoder. It turned out to be not-so-difficult after all--thank goodness. No, it wasn't the batteries.

My Paris tv and decoder box

And I have spent my evenings on the Internet emailing and messaging friends and family, researching flights, etc. I went to the Air France agency in person this morning to have my ticket changed, and bought my ticket for Chicago online. Unfortunately I was unable to sleep last night and am totally exhausted.

Despite this inability to sleep, in the early evening I took the metro to see the Tour Eiffel illuminated. The fresh cool air felt invigorating against my face. As I approached the impressive structure, the little sparkling lights came on and twinkled for a few minutes, but ended before I could take my photo. I was a little disappointed, but it was a beautiful night, the walk did me good, and the immense tower was lovely in its golden splendor. I am just about fully packed and in just a few hours I will again be on a jet plane bound for the Windy City.