i was awoken very early this morning by a gentle finger on my elbow. there is only one person who does that in my family.

"hello jasper".

"hello mummy," he replied, and scurried into bed. while charles has been gone i have been trying really hard to sleep facing the window, in order to be good to my heart, bla bla bla, so i turned around to face my little blond hero, who was getting ready for early morning confidences.

"mummy, where are we going tomorrow?"

"are you telling me you don't know?"

"yes I know, we are going to bali, but what i want to know is what else about bali. is that the city? or the country. or all?"

this tripped me up for a moment. (please remember, it was 6.15am).

and to be fair, this question is one the kids don't really understand. hong kong to them is city, province/state and country. and another bonus – no zip codes in HK!!!

but JUST bali wasn't good enough for jasper.

i thought, started to say "seminyak" and then remembered where we are going and changed my mind to "nusa dua". this was of great interest to jasper, he raised his head from my torso and said, "semnoosaduet?"

"close enough."

"is there a country?"

"indonesia."

he practised that a couple of times then asked if he could watch television. i said no, but he was welcome to leave and read a book in his room. jasper then tried compromise.

"what about read a book in your room?"

"as long as you don't talk to me, even to ask a question or how to say a word," the promoter of literacy and reading declared.

in my younger years i was a bit despondent about my name. teresa. nothing too glam about that. i had friends with glam names, but i was a teresa, a "hard worker". not so great. as time changed, i began to take pride in my name, and feel that i could not let the "teresa team" down by giving less than 100per cent.

 i freely admit i don't fully get the story of martha and mary in the Bible until i study it very carefully. SOMEONE had to do the work and YES it was great that MARY took the break when JEsus beckoned to her, but there was still work to be done! Never one to leave undone work, Martha did it. i know you need balance – (lthough you don't see me clamouring for a more balanced school week/weekend) – but it's just a hard one that concept.

in recent weeks, i have appreciated the words of another teresa – st teresa of avila, as words i want to live by.

here they are:

Lord Christ,

Ours are the eyes through which your compassion
Must look out on the world.

Ours are the feet by which you may still
Go about doing good.

AMEN

It is easier to be a burden than a blessing. But all we can do is try. And then try again the next day.

Off to Bali tomorrow, which means I should probably start packing soon.