The client has been coming to sessions with me for several months when he asks, "Are you a Christian?" I respond, “Is that something that’s important to you?” He explains, “I have a friend who has asked if my counselor is a Christian. It’s kind of a big deal to him.” “What did you tell him?” "I told him I don't know if you're a Christian or not, but I'm feeling better since starting to see you. I told them that you were ‘Christian Enough.’" ...read more
U and I and iPhone
My iPhone gets me in trouble often. Recently, I was responding by text to a friend regarding where we might meet for dinner. After a suggestion of location, I responded with “Okey Dokey”. Autocorrect didn’t quite grasp my midwest version of ”ok”, and responded to my friend with “Honkey Monkey”. I find that these quirky nuances of the iPhone are humility creating events from time to time. The “U” and “I” are so darn close together on the keyboard. I cannot be expected to hit the right buttons ...read more
Pain and Pretending
Three weeks ago today I woke up at 3 am with kidney stones. If you’ve never had kidney stones, you’re probably thinking, “that’s too bad, I hear kidney stones are painful”. However, if you have had kidney stones, right about now your Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is kicking in and your having flashbacks of excruciating, mind-numbing agony. You’re starting to sweat; the room is beginning to spin. You’re nauseas and fear is streaming through your veins. …It’s ok. Breathe. It’s only a memory. ...read more
Facebook and Emotional Constipation
Smiling faces, witty one-liners, political jousting, bumper sticker wisdom, and emotional constipation. Welcome to Facebook! You’ll notice my profile picture isn’t the one of me in my pajamas leaning over the bathroom sink plucking my eyebrows. It’s also not the one of me completely frazzled, cleaning up dog vomit on the stairs, late to a friend’s wedding. And, it’s not the one of me scarfing down too many brownies when I think no one is watching. Nope, that’s not what Facebook is for. It’s ...read more