Sunday Matters: Feeling It

Last Friday we had a special event at church that I volunteer for. A Night to Remember is prom for those with special needs. It’s always a fun night. I helped with flowers. I love to see the pure joy on those students’ faces. I’ve come to realize that during my recovery, anything “extra” requires a bit more rest for my body. So later today a much needed nap will be enjoyed.

Right Now:

Student ministry this morning. Nap this afternoon. That post-church nap always hits just right.

This Week:

On my mind this week is my MRI and CT scan. My feeling is that the pulmonary embolism is not fully resolved. I still get very winded sometimes. As for the MRI, I pray that the two tumors that were discovered later are just no more (poof, gone)  or that they haven’t grown at all.

My three days in the office have been going okay. I am admittedly wiped out after day 3 but I’m getting through it. My hair though… almost totally gone. I did buy a wig but I haven’t tried it yet. It just feels like a lot of hair! Not sure my scalp will tolerate it.

Reading:

I am reading Census by Jesse Ball. I chose it for book club. It’s very different. I like it so far. It’s slightly dystopian/sci-fi. Catches me off guard sometimes. It makes you think.

Grateful for:

McDonald’s sweet tea. Ever since my brain surgery I’ve not been able to drink coffee or even have it around me. The smell!!! I used to love coffee so much but on my office days I’ve been enjoying sweet tea instead.

Review: Honor

Honor
By Thrity Umrigar
Algonquin Books,9781643753300, 2022, 352 pp.

The Short of It:

Weighty.

The Rest of It:

In Honor, Indian American journalist Smita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena–a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man–Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. ~Indiebound

I was immediately pulled into this story. Meena’s story of abuse at the hands of her own brothers, was intense in the telling. Permanently disfigured by fire and ridiculed by the entire village for falling in love and marrying a Muslim man, proved to be too much for her to overcome. As unwelcome as she is, her young daughter, Abra is what keeps her there. Forced to live with a MIL who hates her for what happened to her son, the only thing that grounds her are the ethereal visits of her husband Abdul as he makes his presence known through dreams.

Smita, a journalist, returns to India to assist a colleague who is having hip surgery. Her entire motivation for going is to just help her colleague during recovery. India is not a place she ever wanted to return to. Too many memories of when her family was forced to leave when she was a child. But when she arrives, she finds out that Shannon wants her to pick up Meena’s story. That her time in India will not be spent navigating recovery, but interviewing Meena, the MIL, the brothers that caused her so much pain. This was not in the cards, but how can such a story go untold?

Smita’s time in India is wrought with unpleasant memories, difficult people, and reluctant witnesses. Her only saving grace is the man who Shannon brought in to help navigate the language barrier. Mohan’s kindness, common sense and loyalty to Smita and Shannon prove to be invaluable.

This was an easy story to fall into given the weighty subject matter but the ending! No spoilers but I was not prepared for the ending. It was like a slap to the face! Overall, to say that I “enjoyed” this story would be a real stretch but I found myself taken by the characters and the difficulty presenting itself as Meena’s story is told. It was chosen for my book club and I think there will be plenty to discuss.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.