Joy!

Who was it that said "joy cometh in the morning?"  These days I feel like a new person and that a new day has dawned.  I'm in a new relationship with all of the excitement that it brings. 

I feel so safe and comfortable with this person.  When I shared my family issues he responded with such kindness and sincerity.  We have shared a lot with each other, building on 6 months of friendship as we now date.    I can't wait to see where this goes.

Your sister thriver,

Leah

Friendship

As summer begins to ebb, I reflect on its events.  One of the joys of this summer was the friends with whom I connected.  Some of them in my home, some in their home and some along the way.  I am blessed with amazing friends filled with depth, love, care and understanding.

Today I spent the majority of the day with a friend of 22 years.  Our connection with each other spans multiple components of our lives - including the challenges of surviving abusive childhoods.  Today we gathered to spend time with a mutual friend who is dying of a terrible disease of the brain stem.  It is so sad to watch her decline.  My friend is much closer to her then I am.  I try to be present for both of them.  Thank G-d for friends - at all times, but especially at times like these.

I hope that my summer of friends will continue into the fall, even if our connections are a combination of in person, on the phone, on Skype or Google phone through Gmail.  Technology allows us to connect easier and continue our friendships.

Your grateful survivor thriver.

Hello to a blogging friend

Blogging can be a liberating writing tool. So it is for a friend of mine. Take a look at her blog, "A Womyn's Ecdysis."

Wishing you a great weekend and (if applicable) a Shabbat shalom!

Update: I just spent some time reading through posts on A Womyn's Ecdysis and enjoyed every moment - you go womyn!!

Clarification on my earlier post- length of healing

Hello again. [Yes, after not posting for a long time, I am posting thrice in once night. ;-) ]

I'm home now from the place where I was blogging from my Treo and when checking my earlier posts I realized I need to clarify something. I remarked about my friend "D" "Too bad that healing can sometimes be lengthy." Healing takes its own time. I did not mean to suggest that there needs to be a time limit on healing. In fact, as many of us know, healing can be like a spiral - we return to the same issues over and over again in different ways and with different tools. I am by no means judging us when it takes a long time to heal.

Thanks for letting me clarify.

Long term impact of abuse

I had a wonderful, reconnecting conversation with a friend tonight. It was a blessing to speak with her. We've been friends for nearly 15 years, and even though we had a period of disconnection, we've picked things back up.

During our conversation tonight I was reminded of how long the pain of abuse can last. This friend was abused by an employer and the effects remain to this day.

I am mindful of the reality that I can't take away her pain - just be there for her. Too bad that healing can sometimes be lengthy.