Things here have gotten pretty busy lately and I apologize for the short absence. I have a quota to reach each month in regard to direct service hours and this is the first month that I've gotten 100 hours (actually, I'm pretty far over that by now) and I'm very excited about that.
I don't know what it is, but last week was a very "on" week for me as a therapist and I'm building rapport with several clients that haven't really been sure about me. The previous therapist didn't stay for six months, so I think people are beginning to realize I'll be here a while, so they are more comfortable attaching.
I've been thinking a lot about parents lately. It seems that I more frequently am in earshot of conversations about parenting horror stories. Then, as a therapist, I meet with children who wish their parents would participate, but don't. I also work with several parents who are in denial and don't want to admit that they make mistakes, much less hear someone remind them that they do. This really affects my ability to help the family and by extension, my client. Sometimes it is quite frustrating. I even have parents who don't even attend the assessments...and they wonder why their kid is depressed?
I have more focused thoughts to share, but since I have the freedom to not be at work because I have all my hours, I'm going home early. :)
The past few days I've been really looking into my options for Loan Repayment Programs. Because of my location, I'm eligible to apply for this great program through the National Health Service Corps where you sign a contract for two years and they will pay off $50,000 of your loans. I applied toward the end of last year, thinking all I had to do was apply, and received an e-mail indicating I was missing...pretty much a million other things. Yesterday, I printed out the full 50-page "bulletin" with all the information and went from overwhelmed to discouraged back to overwhelmed, but in the end, resolute. Yes, there are several requirements (letters of recommendation, original loan documents, etc.) but it really is worth $50,000 of student loans being paid back in two years. PLUS, if approved, I could extend another year and get another $25,000 which would pretty much cover everything. All the work is really worth it!
In any case, I came home and was sifting through old files to see how many loan forms I had and how many I was lacking. While looking at my bills from my undergrad I wished for the day that a full-time quarter in college only cost $945. Those were the days.
Somehow, in the midst of student loan forms, acceptance (and rejection) letters, and graduation announcements I found something else. So, I'm telling you this to tell you that I found my list of "natural highs". I think about the list every once in a while, but every time I go hunting for it, it isn't where I think it is. I think about this list more often since I've been running the local youth drug court group. I received this list when a relative of mine was in a substance abuse treatment center and I participated in the family week at the facility. I do not assume this to be a complete list and as far as I can tell, it was created by residents of the facility at one point or another. Either way, a good list. :)
A new hobby. Swimming the last lap. Christmas carols. A long-distance call from a friend. Good grades. Waterskiing. A hug. Your team winning. Listening to a child giggle. Watching a sunset. Deciding not to watch your favorite TV show to get your homework done, and then finding out after you finish that the show was delayed and you still get to watch it. Your heart beat when you see someone you like. Watching a cat take a bath in a patch of sun. Intercepting a pass. New pencils and supplies on the first day of school. Eating pizza. A long, hot shower. Finishing the Peachtree Road Race. A spider web with dew on it in the early morning sun. Reading under an electric blanket on a rainy day. Your first solo bike ride. International travel. Chili dogs. Reading before and after stories about overweight people. Intimacy. A good talk with a friend. A great idea. Snow skiing. A kitten. Enthusiastic people. Climbing trees. God. Watching the moon. Plunging your hot body into a cool pool. Dogs nuzzling each other. An African violet that blooms. Running in the fall. A Rachmaninoff piano concerto. Relaxing to Saturday morning cartoons. Making somebody laugh. Surfing. Walking on the beach. Decorating a Christmas tree. Playing the piano. Sailing. Fixing something that’s been broken. Writing something exactly the way it had to be written to say what it has to say. A job well done. Creativity. Football. Slumber parties. Meditation. Liking your parents. Liking your children. The quiet after a snowfall. Riding down the street in a sports car switching gears. Friends. Singing. Cooking somebody thief favorite meal. Really observing things. A letter from a friend. Color. Frisbee. Being appreciated. Needlework. Losing weight. Being noticed by someone you’ve been noticing. A warm smile from a stranger. Success stories. The Pachelbel Canon. Dancing. Finishing a term paper. The first week of school. The last week of school. The day the yearbook comes out. Laughter. Recognizing the truth in something you read. Hearing somebody say “I love you.” Holding hands. Clean hair. Stopping smoking. The first spring flower. Loving yourself. Breakfast in bed.
