battery low

(update below)

It’s the end of the work week and I’m exhausted—burnout. My mental inventory tells me that this was a shorter work week coupled with less than the maximum tolerable amount of workload that I normally experience. Yet my breathing is slow and sigh-like as if I am about to go to bed at night. I literally Googled “It’s okay to rest on Friday” and saw this timely and serendipitous web post: https://holleygerth.com/okay-rest-really/. I read it and very much appreciated its message. It’s curious how despite the physical and empirical evidence of being tired, I still needed the confirmation that I should rest. As if the hustle culture has brainwashed me into associating nonconformity with fear of some uncertain outcome or imaginary repercussion. There is a famous inspirational pop song entitled “Lift Up Your Hands” with a scripture-inspired refrain that goes:

And He said, "Cast your burdens upon Me those who are heavily laden, 

Come to Me, all of you who are tired 

Of carrying heavy loads, 

For the yoke I will give you is easy 

And My burden is light, 

Come to Me and I will give you rest."

Kailangan natin magpahinga. We need to rest.

TGIF.

—

Update:

It’s Saturday now and just wanted to recommend books (fiction, adventure, suspense, historical) by Daniel Silva: The Fallen Angel and The Order* (the only ones I’ve had my hands on thus far). I also recommend any book by James Rollins. Oh, and you know my secret to being noncommital and cost-effective in terms of books? The local public library! If you prefer paperback or hardbound over ebooks or audiobooks—they will surely have it! It requires a bit of patience, though, especially if a book is popular because there’s a lineup on holds but the good thing is that if you start reading a book and realize, “meh, not for me”, then you can just return it. Right? Then in that rare occasion when you discover that a book is your soulmate and you want to read it over and over, then you can choose to purchase your own copy either in physical form or ebook/audio form or both—whichever you like! 

Have a good weekend, folks!

*These Daniel Silva books may seem like unusual choices for a  Roman Catholic like myself—what with stories involving corruption and criminal activity in his fictional Vatican with an Israeli Mossad agent/art restorer (portrayed by Pedro Pascal with the bearing of Mando in my imagination) as the protagonist—I find these interesting. A reminder of the human frailty within the Church. I think that when people are given power and wealth regardless of circumstances, temptation can be blinding and actions are geared towards keeping power and wealth. Universal themes.