Rise and Shine Girl Blog

The sun is shining and it will be in the beautiful 70s today!  So much to be thankful for!

I have to say I felt a little guilty writing my last post seeing as it wasn’t the most uplifting and more self-serving for my soul!  If it left you with a heavy heart, I’m sorry, but as I said when I started this blog it wouldn’t be all flowers and sunshine.

Last week while at a band competition I was asked,” What do you do for a living?”  It is always interesting to see how people respond to me being a therapist.  Sometimes their body tenses as if I have the ability to see through them and all the issues contained within them.  Other times, Pandora’s Box is opened and I hear an earful.  This time the person said, “How do you separate the sadness you witness from your personal life?”

What an interesting question as I was grappling with the loss of one of my clients.

For the last week or so I have noticed some people walking gingerly around me as if I’m a fragile flower.  Maybe that is what my outside may look like, or maybe that is how people think I should be acting after this loss.  I’m not sure.  I’m okay, in fact I’m great!  I miss my client.  The first Thursday at our usual time not seeing her on my sofa was difficult.  Speaking and dealing with the medical examiner’s office was nerve racking as I walked the line of protecting my client’s privacy while also trying to assist the examiner in how my client may have reached her final moments.  Unfortunately, no one will have the actual answers to what made her decide to end her life.  We, all who knew her, will march on and be imprinted forever.

So back to the question, “How do you separate the sadness you witness from your personal life?”  I choose to LIVE!  I surround myself with real people, true friends, go listen to live music where I feel the vibrations through my entire body, give when I can, take if I need to, celebrate the small things, be grateful for the irreplaceable, use humor, dance my butt off, be thankful the sun can touch my skin, and thank God he gives me opportunities to use my talents.

My physical therapist asked me, “What do you think people need to be and feel successful in life?”  It didn’t take me long to answer, “Hope and a Purpose!”

May you have both!

RISE AND SHINE!