Touched

I know it can be hard to be around people when they are desperately sad. We often do all kinds of things, with varying degrees of usefulness. We can try to jolly people out of it, or offer the fabled cup of tea. It certainly can be helpful for someone to help us see a perspective different from the one we're stuck in, and a generously offered drink can help us when we're ready to pull our attention out of out mired state. I'm lucky to also know people with skills to assist me work through what is hard, to stay with it. And people to hold my hand. One friend did that for me today - as you know I value human touch immensely so was very grateful. In the event I was incredibly calm throughout my hour long dental appointment and was so proud of my coping techniques, focusing on the word on the lamp above me, making anagrams and thinking up words to match each letter in a variety of categories like birds, flowers, ice cream flavours. Afterwards I was much less brave but that's ok, we don't have to be strong all the time.

The dog can't bear to be around me when I'm upset, so leaves just when I need his closeness most. I don't remember that being the same with cats, I wonder why.

After a ridiculously full few weeks I have a scarily empty weekend alone. I will endeavour to take some time to catch up with myself as well as the housework (rather than busy myself with housework and so avoid catching up with myself). There's a whole seam that I now need to mend having failed to intervene when the hole was tiny. Draw your own parallels there!