Thanks, M, but it's more like three-four nights at a time.

In this ministry life, it's the details that can get so screwy that it's hard to see the patterns. Without a deacon-on-call, this means that there is no one to cover for emergencies, so we have to figure out for ourselves how to phase in some rest for him as well as non-craziness for me. And unfortunately, lay parishioners cannot cover this base.

(I used to BE on call for Red Cross (mostly housefire response to families, and also late-night communications calls for military fam emergencies), but I had backups scheduled..... and I know too well that if my own routine goes too far off-plan, I'm no good to myself, no good to Hardi personally OR professionally, and ultimately no good for regular or emerg. pastor-ees, either.

But I have made a big decision that will affect all that-- I am going to see if I can take CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), the certification required to do crisis hospital/nursing home/funeral pastoral care in our denomination. I have the flair, I am told, and I have lay peer counseling education and experience. But I want the CPE training. I may also take some Heart Assn. crisis-care courses-- not so that I can be a "wacker," (make ambulance runs), but so that I can function better in juxtaposition with that whole environment.

But anyway, as it regards my own wellness, I figger two good nights' sleep per week is already more than a lot of people-- not to mention emergency responders-- get.

~Susan