Hooked On Healing

Are you good at friendship? What sort of character do you wish to find in a friend? Does she know how to show vulnerability or weakness? Does he trust you enough to confess some failures? Is she interested in your challenges and troubles, too?

You may recall with ease a pleasant day at the beach with your family when you were but seven years old. Sure, call me on my shell phone. Memories of intense terror or fear, however, are oftentimes denied or hidden by our very mind to protect us. Is there a scale of awfulness on which we can even measure our trauma?

When we see others suffer, oftentimes we vicariously agonize for them, too. We can even get compassion fatigue if we have continued exposure to others’ distress. Many of us feel uneasy going about our daily lives, even if the trauma is not directly related to our current situation, because in fact – it is.

We have all just experienced the most dreadful and horrific calamity and catastrophe. Have you been able to adequately process or even understand this collective trauma? Some of us feel utterly devastated and crippled, but under pressure to carry on with our lives. We may not give ourselves time to reflect or to even mourn.

Honestly, do you find flaws in everything and nearly everyone? Yes, there is a boatload of negativity in the world. Humans can be selfish and cruel. He took advantage of you. She deceived you. Well, that is only one version of the world, sweet friends. I get it. Turn me over. I’m done on this side.

We were taught as young children to always think of others first. To this day, you may struggle desperately to see things from his point of view. You try awfully hard to put her first and at the center of your life. For most, this is extraordinarily important. But some of us take this way too close to heart. In the process, we surrender and abdicate our own selves.