The kind of food that doesn't make you fat

The last couple months have been jam packed and have left me with quiet a lot to process. Shortly after my last post, I had to present my Genogram (detailed family tree/history) to my class. I will not go in to details here, but it’s not exactly white picket fences and June Cleaver. That experience and the discussions with my mom and sister that followed have given me a lot of food for thought. As I was recovering from that, Uncle Bob passed away. I think Steph did a beautiful job of expressing the shock, pain, and questions that we were left with after Uncle Bob’s passing. I think that in some ways it was harder for me because of the depression and suicide. Because I am a therapist, there is a tiny part of me that thought if I only knew…. I know that in reality, there was nothing I personally could have done, but I cannot help but feel that I could have. I am fortunate to have a supervisor who understood and, through a story, reassured me that I could not of done anything but it was normal to feel this way. My heart goes out to Chrissy and Betsy (not that I don’t feel for Ryan) because I think every girl dreams of their wedding day and a part of that is having your dad walk you down the aisle. Not to mention the father-daughter dance. And he will never meet their children. I know that the loss is so much more profound than these little things, but it’s hard not to think of all the things that will be missed. One of the many thoughts that ran through my head as I drove home was that I have had to do so many things by myself, I hope that I don’t have to walk myself down the aisle too. If I were to reflect on it further, I would only repeat what Steph said.
Shortly after that, I found out that the agency I work for had lost a major funding source, and so there is a good chance that most of us will be out of a job come May 30th. Really, this is both good and bad. The bad is mostly obvious: I need a job and it’s always hard to leave clients behind. However, I see this as an opportunity for change and a new beginning. I haven’t really been happy at VCG for quite some time and I think this is God’s way of giving me a kick in the pants to get out of there. Right now I am just hoping it all works out for me- A very wise woman told me it always does. (Hi mom!)
In addition to the above, my Practicum provides me with new challenges and food for thought almost daily. In the past couple months I have had to call Childline, figure out how to get through to a stubborn little bugger, and deal with the aftermath of a suicide attempt. It’s not all rain and thunder clouds though- I also get to watch my clients grow and heal. It’s a very slow process, but it’s magical too. I know that some people think that the job of a therapist is depressing, but really it’s inspiring to see someone make the decision to change themselves, work toward that goal, and finally achieve it. And the fact that I get to be a part of it is just gravy.