Saturday, February 26, 2011

A sleepy Saturday.. what stress does to me


I woke up this morning, got out of bed but stayed in my pajamas. I didn't change my clothes all day. I felt chilled, sleepy and depressed. I'd crawl under a blanket and fall asleep only to have weird, disjointed dreams. Not nightmares - just dreams. None of them made any sense at all. I'd wake up and wander around the house for a while and then climb back under a blanket and sleep some more. This pattern of sleep, dream, wake, stay up for a bit and return to sleep continued all day. Sometimes I slept in my bed, sometimes on the sofa in the TV room, and sometimes on the sofa in the sitting room. 

From time to time during the day I'd check my email (when the internet was working) - still under a blanket, using my phone. All of my ex-pat colleagues have made it home safely - each one has a horror story to tell but most of them are ready to return here as soon as things are sorted out. My family and friends abroad have been checking up to see how things are here. They offer kind words of encouragement. Fellow bloggers comment as do my regular readers and also complete strangers. Keep praying for us!

My friends who are still in Libya are doing well. We check up on each other when the phones are working and we can get a line. One person relaying messages for the others she's spoken to. It's always a quick call because we can't tell how much phone credit we have left. The number you use to check the phone credit doesn't work anymore. We've all decided that when this is over we're going to have a big get-together. 

My husband ventured out today to see what was going on. He came back with lots of fruit and veggies. The Egytptians who have been running most of the vegetable stands have all fled, leaving the produce behind. Fruit is being sold a bargain prices before it begins to spoil. So tonight we are enjoying fresh fruit cocktail. He also made an attempt to attend a funeral today for some of the martyrs but was turned away.  

  • Watching the news is distressing. 
  • Staying at home is depressing. 
  • The whole situation is upsetting. 

I'm hoping for the day I can type some positive adjectives. Keep us in your prayers.

18 comments:

  1. I am praying very very hard for you.
    Let me tell you what I mean by this: I can sit for hours in meditation
    I contemplate angels surrounding all o fyou--tho I know nobody in your country. I visualise the Holy Mother of Jesus holding you all and beaming on you with her Heavenly love and grace
    By the way, I often get up and feel cold and stay in my pajamas all day--guess I shouldn't
    yesterday when the Americans came off that ferry onto land in Malta, I suddenly convulsed in tears...I had no idea I was so worried about them--don't know them personally either.
    I shook and got chills and then just was overcome crying...so glad they got out.
    all will be well.. I really feeel this--it is intuitive but true...all will be freed fr bondage.
    We live in a most exciting time.
    Be glad ... hope All the best, Shirley

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks for the update Khadija Teri.You are on my mind all the time and I feel very anxious for your safety and for the lifes of the brave libyans fighting for freedom and democracy. It's being incredible hard but oh.. so inspiring your fight! you can be very proud of the spirit and resilliance shown.
    Keep on fighting the depression and blues! I'm sure it's not going to last much more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. For the sake of your family & mine we're always praying for Libya & especially Tripoli.

    Alhamdullilah our guest made it safely from Tripoli. We went sledding yesterday. Picture a really big kid with my kid on a 2 person sled. Then the 2 of them spilling off at the bottom of the hill. Up & down for about 1/2 an hour getting covered with snow for the first time in his life. I am hopeful I might lighten your day a little.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My heart goes out to everyone in Lybia, my prayers are with you! Jeremiah 29:11. Sarah Murray, Tahlequah, Oklahoma USA

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have been following #Libya since the first demonstrations. I find it hard to sleep. I find it hard to pay attention at work. I follow the tweets of the brothers and sisters. I swing between the daily blogs in the NYT, BBC, Guardian, Telegraph and AJE.

    My heart was in my mouth yesterday. I would check the time in Tripoli through Google frequently. The clock crept past midnight, the tweets from the brother bloggers in Tripoli were mostly jkeeping their moral up. I would tweet them back encouraging remarks, snippets of uplifting news.

    This morning I woke at ten to six. I am a night person. I seldom stir before 9.30 on a Saturday morning. Back here clicking in front of the Mac. Tripoli was still there - phew! The might, after all had been quiet.

    Just watched the UN Security Council unanimously pass a very strongly worded resolution. They may have been slow out of the starting blocks but they sure sprinted to the finish.

    Please tell everyone you meet: billions of people everywhere are holding their breath.

    The death or injury of anyone hurts each of us. We join our hands across the world, grip hard and wait eagerly for the people of #Libya to gain their freedom.

    Inshalla

    ReplyDelete
  6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbp8DVBYyNg

    ReplyDelete
  7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90BgI5Qv2bQ&feature=youtu.be

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Khadija, I am one of your faithful lurkers (I am sure you have many). When I heard about the uprising in Libya, I immediately thought of you. This will pass, Insha Allah. Stay strong and positive. Sending lots of du'a for you, your family and all Libyans. Your sister in Indonesia - Dewi

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Khadija (hope that is your forename?)

    sometimes times are extremely distressing.

    Scientists have found out that stressing depressing feelings even make them worse, produce even more negative thoughts and feelings.

    No one would say, that you are overreacting! Not at all!!! But maybe it would be helpfull, strenghthening for you to keep a kind of inner distance, inner force in your situation.

    How about starting to write a book? A totally different theme from your "real life". How about starting to paint, to do something creative that keeps your thoughts from fear and leads to a kind of inner flow?

    Hope I could describe what I meant to say: I know that your situation is very very hard and I wish I could stand by your side.

    Dearest greetings from Cologne/Germany
    Regina

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good to have news from you. Keep safe. All the best to you, your family, your friends and all Libyans ! Everybody in the world is very concerned about situation in Libya. We don't know what to do to help you but are open to any idea
    Bye from France

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks to all of you. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

    Christine - I hope we shall meet one day!

    Anonymous... It's very hard for me to watch the videos before I approve the comment. I know you mean well but can you just put in a comment and not a link to a video?

    ** I wont be posting any more video links in the future because it is too difficult to watch them first - I fear someone may intentionally post inappropriate material. Thanks, KhadijaTeri

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am also a "lurker" (found your blog before a short visit to Libya this year). I am not religious, so no prayer involved, but I hope for peace and stability, and a return to life as usual for you and all the Libyan people soon. Really like your blog too.
    Wembley

    ReplyDelete
  13. All of the ex Wheelus students are glued to the news and praying for peace and freedom for the Libyan people. Don't take chances and stay safe please. Hugs from Texas. Dana

    ReplyDelete
  14. Have commented before, but just today found out I am a 'lurker':-). I stumbled on your blog by accident a view years ago. So I just 'know' you through the internet. Nevermind. But I just wanted to tell again that we are thinking about you Libians in these difficult times. You are so brave! As a woman with a family I feel even more how difficult and scary these times must be for you and your familiy.
    Take care, again. Keep it up. You are making history.
    Greetings from the netherlands

    ReplyDelete
  15. For your information :
    A Benghazi, l'opposition s'organise : l'ancien ministre de la Justice, Mustafa Abdel Jalil - qui a démissionné le 21 février pour protester contre la répression de la révolte - envisage de créer un gouvernement de transition. Ce dernier serait chargé principalement de préparer des élections, avec "des personnalités militaires et civiles" et "pour trois mois maximum", avant "des élections justes". (Source : AFP)
    From AFP, through France 24 : Mustafa Abdel Jalil, who resigned on feb 12, intend to create a transition governement, in order to organize elections (votes) with militaries and civilans personnalities and for only 3 months before right elections.

    I also read that they don't want to "cut" Libya in different parts but want to keep the unity of the country. So everything will happen only after liberation of Tripoli and other cities still under "Big Boss" control.
    B. from France

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hope the Libyan people get what they wish. Hope they do not land from the frying pan into the fire. Like some countries that had "Freedom" thrust upon them, this "Freedom" unfortunately has not made life any better for them.
    May God bless the Libyan people with wise leaders who have the interest of Libyan Nation in their hearts and not the interest of Multinationals and Oil Monsters. God Bless. -FR

    ReplyDelete
  17. Another information: (AFP, through France 24)
    LIBYE : Le Haut commissariat aux réfugiés des Nations unies annonce que "près de 100 000 personnes" ont fui la Libye vers les pays voisins, "des travailleurs égyptiens et tunisiens principalement". (Source : AFP)

    AFP today : UNHCR annonce that more or less 100 000 people left Lybia to neighboring countries, mainly aegyptians and tunisians workers.

    I also read that there is a camp for these exiled people at the tunisian-libyan border (tunisian side)to welcome them and organize their transfer to their country or inside Tunisia
    B. from France

    ReplyDelete

Guidelines for submitting comments

You can rant, you can rave, you can question. I ask only that you are thoughtful about what you write.

Comments are reviewed by me before publication. I don’t edit comments, but I do reserve the right to delete comments that violate my guidelines.

These are the kinds of comments that I think are not appropriate for publication:

- Defamatory or libelous remarks
- Abusive, harassing, or threatening language
- Obscene, vulgar, or profane language
- Racially, ethnically or religiously offensive words
- Illegal or encourages criminal acts
- Known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution
- Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others
- Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious)
- Off-topic or spam
- Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises



Please submit comments in English.


Thank you

My Link List