In the wake of everything that is going on regarding my mother’s illness, I have been trying to deal with it in various ways. During the last weeks of her life when she was very sick, one way I dealt with it was buying, the almost three year old, Mr. Man’s birthday presents online. Then I moved on to buying Christmas presents online. Retail therapy felt good to me and I reasoned, I might not feel like doing it later.
There is a certain temptation right now to go negative in my thinking. I recognize that almost everyone I have interacted with in the past two weeks has been toward me and my family. People have really gone out of their way to make things easier for us. I hope that the next time someone I know is having a hard time, I can be as helpful and caring as others have been to me and my family. It has been a true education for me in how to treat others who are going through a tough time.
Still there are times when I fixate on the negative. Perhaps it is an interaction that didn’t go quite as I planned or something slightly awkward that happened. I think this kind of thinking can get addictive if you allow yourself to indulge in it too much. In that spirit, I ordered a book for Mr. Man for his birthday, that is really a reminder for me in disguise.
It is called How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton. I will admit I have never read adult version. I just might check it out now.
Hello Katie: You do not cease to amaze me with your positive thinking and I find that I get so much from your postings! This sounds like a beautiful book and I may go get the adult copy for myself! I am looking forward to seeing you soon and sharing the joy and sadness of the moment! Love you Ajeanne
Thank you so much!