2 Year Anniversary

No, this is not a reference to a long-term relationship, unless you count the super emeshed one I have with my grad school cohort.  It is actually in reference to my relationship with Colorado and Fort Collins.  

Two years ago, I stepped off a plane, got in a shuttle, and caught my first (yes, very first) glimpse of the snowy Rocky Mountains.  It snowed the entire 60 mile ride from Denver to Fort Collins (the day after I got back, Mibbie and I took champagne to Piedmont Park and sat outside in the sun in 65 degree weather...).  I feel in love with the town, the college, and the MFT program.  And, quickly, I fell in love with my amazing friends out here.  It is not a stretch or exaggeration to say that I probably wouldnt have made it this far without them.

This isnt to say I dont miss Georgia. I do. A lot.  There are a ton of people and places that I miss every day. I think about my friends and family all the time.  I still refer to Georgia as "home," though I have started to catch myself, because Fort Collins is my home now. Moving out here and going to CSU was the best decision I have ever made.  There is no greater feeling than feeling like you are where you are meant to be and doing what you are meant to be doing.  But, sometimes it doesnt make it any easier to be far away. Sometimes I even feel like I left some strings untied back in Georgia--which is a hard thing for me to come to terms with. 

MFT Interview Day, Feb 2010; Old Town, Fort Collins

Two years ago this weekend, I made the scary, exciting decision to pack up and move out West.  And, let me tell you, it has been a wild and crazy ride. 

100 Ways to Rock

http://wearethatfamily.com/2012/02/100-ways-to-make-your-marriage-rock/

I saw this link on Facebook and was interested in finding out the "100 ways to make your marriage rock."  Obviously, since I am not married, I do not have the personal experience of trying to "make my marriage rock," but, when I read this I couldn't help thinking, "Well, hell...some of these are things you should do in any relationship--friends, parents, significant others, etc." Of course, there are exceptions to this rule-- #26 is not advised for parents or friends (unless it is that kind of friend relationship...which is fine, too). #29, #44, and # 45 you can certainly apply those to all your relationships--intimate or otherwise.

The good news about this list is that they are all do-able.  These are the little things that make a relationship rock. Years of research has shown that just 5-15 minutes a day of one-on-one time can make all the difference between a relationship that grows together or grows apart. And, some of the things on this list take all of 30 seconds and can make a huge difference in someone's day.

Another way to look at this is to see the word "rock" as a noun, as in stable, heavy, 'you are my rock' type stuff.  I think this list can be interpreted as "100 ways to make a relationship foundation."  While rocking (the verb) is great--rocking it in the bedroom, rocking out in the car with girlfriends, or just rocking out to 90's music in the living room during an impromptu dance party--these things wouldn't be there without the relationship/friendship/familial 'rock'.

Plus, isn't an intimate relationship essentially an amazing friendship with some passion thrown in? Isn't a family bond one of the tightest and (hopefully) supportive relationships you can have? And, aren't friendships the relationships that get us through when we need it most? Bibbity Bobbity Boo.*

*Points if you understand this reference. Hint: you have to sing the rest of the song...

Intensity

Today I had one of the most intense therapy sessions in the 14 months I have been working with clients.

My client is a 6 year old boy and his mother.  His mother just got out of jail and has just come back in his life after being absent for 2.5 years.  He has been expelled from school recently for intense anger, threats, and several other poor behavior.  In the 6 weeks of working with them, I haven't seen this anger to the extent which I have been told it could be.  That changed today.

Today, I was called a "fucking bitch," "asshole," and he told me he would "chop my head off" and "stab my mom in the heart so she dies" because he got angry at us.  This went on for about 35-40 minutes before he was able to get control.

Needless to say, I have never been called a "fucking bitch" by a client, and especially not a 6 year old.  It is amazing the amount of hurt and pain that this child is feeling and experiencing right now.  Unfortunately, a child does not have the verbal or emotional ability to express how he feels when feelings are so intense. He is unable to tell us how he felt abandoned, lost, and afraid he will be left again--the best way he knows how is to say and do things in an attempt to make us feel the same rage he is feeling.

Chances are I will lie away tonight thinking and replaying this session in my head.  This is the hard, and heartbreaking, part of my job.

How to Choose Your SEC Team

http://www.redcuprebellion.com/2012/1/9/2690793/how-to-choose-your-sec-school-a-primer-for-disinterested-fans

LOVE THIS. Very stereotypical, and (obviously) I am not a disinterested fan, but very funny nonetheless.

Check it out.

*Thank you Emily Dziedzic for finding this!