(dc fast 10) half-way-point reflection

(hi readers - this earnest, self-reflective post is really just for my own records and it will be pretty uninteresting to anyone who's not me. i'd recommend skipping it unless you're _really_ bored.)

i just realized last night that this has been a remarkable fast so far. it has been much different from previous years. first of all, we're halfway through, and i've been home every single night (!). i have stuck more or less to the 6am - 2pm work schedule, and i've been home every afternoon between 3 - 4:30. with the exception of my big sunday devotional last weekend, i've broken the fast alone at my house and then gone to sleep pretty soon thereafter between 9 and 10:30. this is going to change next week when i go to houston for work, but this year has seen the least amount of traveling and outside scheduled events that i've ever had during the fast. i remember one of my first fasts in high school when i was on the varsity tennis team, and we'd practice (_hard_) after school. i would get so thirsty i'd run home and stand by the sink with my glass ready to gulp down water at sunset. in retrospect, that schedule might have fallen under the "hard labor" exception, but i was never sure.

second, i've gotten enough water. there's also a tendency during the fast for me not to drink enough water, especially in the mornings. but being up well before sunrise and switching sometimes to carbonated water has made it pretty easy to drink 1.5-2 liters of water before sunrise, and i've noticed that i feel healthy and strong all day long.

third, i've gotten almost enough sleep (!). getting enough sleep any time of the year is one of my biggest challenges, and even more so during the fast, but it always surprises me what i can achieve when i simply prioritize something. i've gotten up (lots of times without an alarm) sometime between 5 and 6 every morning and i've stayed up. there's only been one night (also, the night of my devotional gathering) when i went to sleep after midnight, and i caught up the next night. naps have been minimal, although i have taken two or three. and last night i went to bed (accidentally) at 7:30pm. but all in all, the sleep aspect has been much improved this year as compared to the last 19 years.

lastly, i've been praying a LOT. i always pray more during the fast because there is so much awareness of the sun that it's very difficult to miss an obligatory prayer. but beyond that, since i've been home every afternoon and it's a particularly lovely time to pray, i've felt peaceful and happy most of the time.

one thing hasn't been going as well as planned. the hours outside work haven't been as productive as i had hoped - i had imagined being able to come home and spend several hours mixing each day, but this hasn't happened. some days i've been able to work, but i've tended to spend the hours on the computer handling life/financial maintenance things rather than working.

but, all in all, i feel that i've finally hit my fasting stride in this, my 19th year of fasting. it's a routine that's sustainable (for the duration of the 19-day fast) and feels _really_ good, but i guess it wouldn't be possible if i had a family or had less control over my own schedule. it has made me deeply appreciate and cherish the freedom i have both at work and at home to make my own priorities and live my life in a way that makes me feel happy and productive. i still have a long way to go, but the improvement is encouraging and exciting.