“The Gentle Art of Loving Your Trauma Clients” is a continuing education course that appeared in my inbox this morning. Ninety-six percent of the time, I delete invitation’s like these from WMHCA (Washington Mental Health Counseling Association) like the junk they are.
But not this morning.
I clicked on it; not only was I curious, but I also felt compelled to register. And who of all the familiar faces do I see is giving the talk? My college classmate, road trip buddy, podcast co-host, weekly Marco-Polo sender, and excellent friend Reid Stell. Note to self, although I can’t make the live version, I need to sign up for on-demand access.
Sports talk radio ran in the background for most of my errand drive earlier. “It’s a horrible call. They quick review and don’t catch it! That’s horrible. And why? Did they even explain?” Suddenly I was interested, Yeah! Why? I thought, while also completely unaware of what the heck they were talking about.
I read that being in a hurry and moving too fast causes us to lose control of ourselves. And due to a recent overwhelming interaction, I want to be more in control myself.
I need to slow down. Like how my Grandpa drove his old white Ford pickup. Although his slowness drove me crazy as a kid, I see it differently today. When quality and diligence is put into the task at hand, the output shows the care that went in.
My totem animal needs to be the sloth, snail, or turtle. Or perhaps all three. For now, I’ll start by changing the background on my laptop. Then my phone. And I’ll give myself gentle alerts and reminders by painting rocks and constructing cairns.
My mind fast-forwarded to Christmas and gift-giving, and the quick, rushy energy flooded in. Why though? Why does the thought of buying or making gifts stress me so? Perfectionism comes to mind. If I don’t buy the perfect gift, it’ll reflect negatively on me. What pressure!
Well, I’m not doing it! But how I go about changing that relationship is for another post.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 
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