epilogue

In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks plays a Fedex employee lost on an uninhabited island. Learning to survive off the land, Hanks makes fire without matches, eats raw fish, and collects water in cocunut shells. When he returns to civilization, a woman offers him coffee.
"Cream," she asks.
"Thank you."
"Two percent? Whole milk? Skim? Soy milk? I'm sorry I don't have half and half."
Hanks simply nods. "That'll be fine".

Last night, Ben and I arrived in Bangkok to spend a couple days visiting with my Uncle and Aunt. We caught the night bus from Mae Sot and arrived at the hotel early Sunday morning...exhausted. Before lying down, I read a card sitting on the nightstand. To aide my "sleeping comfort" the hotel offers six different types of pillow...in addition to the three plush models already gracing my pillowtop matress. It was a Cast Away moment. Two days earlier I was sliding down trails in a refugee camp.

As I close my eyes in comfort, I think of my friends sleeping on a split bamboo floor. A hot shower and soft bed thrills and terrifies me. I must never forget to pray and work for those I love. A part of me will always be sleeping there too.