THERAPY OF APPRECIATION.............

My country life is so pleasing to me but at times other things can creep in, or I allow them to creep in and steal my calm and pleasing life.  It is sad to me when I do this, but I am human.  When it especially comes to family, I can allow way too much drainage and heartache at my cost of joy just because they are that, family.  Everyone has issues from time to time, but my family is most often very dysfunctional while looking good.

Now you put holidays on top of that, and well, you know, because maybe you have an Uncle John who is always angry or drunk or both, no good day with an angry drunk for sure.  I do not  have an Uncle John, but I have grown children and grandchildren who know better that to act like they do.  Who have no reason to be hateful to one another and at my home.  Of course when I call them on it, they get mad but never spout off at me, or seldom anyway.  They usually let it all brew until they are boiling over and than rant and rave.  So unbecoming of them or anyone.

Just the other day my grown 24 year old grandson was having a hard time with anxiety and depression which he suffers from and is working on with his doctor and medication.  He had not taken his medication and had a real melt down.  So dealing with that with him, and then addressing it with his parents and making them realize he needed to be checked on and cared about even at 24, well, I was worn and tired and up way past my bedtime.  Even my dogs were telling me to come to bed. I finally did and slept well after a cup of lemon verbena tea which helps me sleep.

So the next day, I got up and told my husband that I was going to town, about 45 miles away and doing some "shopping therapy".   Really how silly of this retired therapist/counselor to say and do this.  I suppose it is good for some but I do not even like to shop.  I headed out by myself, not wanting my husband to accompany me.  I shopped for some sale items at one store and enjoyed talking with a nice lady.  I headed to the pet store and enjoyed the cats and toys and treats and also pet a ferret and talked to him or it.  Than on the Hobby Lobby for just a few simple things and found several ladies that I visited with, no one I knew.  Next lunch and one of the ladies had gone to Panera also and we sat and visited over our lunch...pretty neat.  Off to the grocery store and got lots of meat items for the freezer, but again visited with people and cashier was so sweet.  Off to home and stopped to visit a friend/neighbor with alzheimers who is doing well even after 4 years now and being almost 80.  She said, "Katie, I know you like being home but if you could find the time to come visit me at least once a week, really, I would so enjoy it."  I was blessed and then realized that my shopping therapy was not that at all...it was a time to get out and see that there are nice pleasant and friendly people in this world that enjoy talking with me.  I was blessed.

Also as I sat at home in my living room with my dogs around me working on sipping my tea, that I did not have to go anywhere away from my calm and beautiful country home.  I enjoyed every part of it and stayed home sometimes for weeks at a time.  What I really needed was "nice people" therapy and yesterday I did receive that.  Now I must learn to be able to stay home when family is being nasty and just "let it go" and with that I am heading downstairs to do my daily yoga.