I remember how hard you struggled and how sad everything was during that last bleak stretch of your time in the US; I'm constantly awed by how resolute you were in remaining fearless and open to the possibility of joy, and so constantly glad to see how the joy has rushed in to fill that space you gave it.
What JZ said, because she, as usual, said exactly what I wanted to say more perfectly than I could have said it. I'm so glad you're so happy, and Ryan continues to be a cutie!
Thanks, everyone for listening to me ramble last night and giving the good advice. I actual slept last night and feel better today.
Can I have some ~ma for TCG's step-grandmother? She's 96 and in the hospital today because she is in so much pain. She is a wonderful lady, and I feel so bad that she has been feeling so awful lately.
Tea:
Tons of place-to-live~ma and calm~ma to libkitty!
Shir, I know I missed all the excitement yesterday, but I wish my arms were long enough, or made of elastic so that I could reach around the world and hug you (to reassure myself that you are ok, if for no other reason).
{{{{sj}}}
Raq, happy belated birthday, and I hope that the icky in your life eases up soon.
{{{{bonny}}}} the situation with that family is dire, and I can only imagine how hard it is to convince parents that they have to start working in a way that is completely contradictory to their inclinations and philosophies.
Things that are making me happy: Aims' sister; pictures of Ryan; translations of this board into Mock Swedish; pictures of billytea and Wallybee because of the joy of their union and the joy that their joint production adds to this hard, sad world, making it worth not giving up on; Anne's review going well; and I'm sure there was some other good news that contributes to me feeling rather glad to be here (at buffistas.org and on the planet in general).
Lots of ~ma for TCG's grandmother.
What JZ said, because she, as usual, said exactly what I wanted to say more perfectly than I could have said it. I'm so glad you're so happy, and Ryan continues to be a cutie!
sj beat me to saying exactly this...yay, the house of Tea. But especially, you billy, for believing even when it was hard to do so. You made a choice and the powers that may or may not be lined up behind you. Man. I love stories like yours.
Andi, you are right, my hardest work with this family will be getting the instinctively passive parents to step up for the good of their daughter...but as much for themselves.
This case really challenges and plays into my belief that people are together in this life for some very specific reasons.
Oh libkitty, that sucks. Here's some get-through-the-trial-and-everything-turns-out-better-than-you-ever-imagined~ma
Andi, you are right, my hardest work with this family will be getting the instinctively passive parents to step up for the good of their daughter...but as much for themselves.
It's just... there are a lot of traits that I'm by nature not that I have had to develop for my work, because it all boils down to one thing: what does this person need me to do/say/be to meet their needs at this moment? If I have to be firm or authoritative in a particular situation because that is what the person's developmental needs require, then I will bloody well do that. If the person needs me to answer the 37th time s/he asked that same question today as patiently as I did the first time, when s/he's already asked me the same question 37 times each and every day I have showed up to work with him or her, I will bloody well answer patiently each and every time for 400,953 times. Their needs come first; this isn't to say that I can never pay any attention to my own needs, because if I don't meet my own needs then I lose my ability to meet theirs, my desire to avoid confrontation and let others lead, and my desire to strike out sarcastically when annoyed simply do not actually qualify as needs.
Best of getting through this~ma to libkitty.
Yes, Andi, so true! Behaviors aren't needs. My therapist was very firm with me about learning new behaviors to replace ones I had learned form growing up with alcoholic parents. I fought hard, because I thought those behaviors were who I was. I learned that I could learn to deal with things in a healthier way and still be who I was---only better.
