When my job takes a serious turn and I feel like I’m failing, the thought of quitting often creeps into my mind. Today, that feeling hit me hard with a one-two punch—an overwhelming sense of incompetence with a 13-year-old client and two letters from the Department of Social Services and Disabilities that pushed me to the edge.
But after discussing it all with Dave, I started to regain my composure and see things more clearly. I realized that it’s already July 5th and the first letter was postmarked June 21st, so there’s no way I can turn back time to meet the records request. The second letter reiterated the same message, but with a more assertive tone, stating that they need the documents by the 17th. I can handle that.
As for the 13-year-old, I acknowledge my mistakes and understand the changes I need to make. I need to take the lead, set clear expectations for counseling, provide a roadmap of our work, and establish boundaries between what is part of our counseling journey and what is not.
I know I can handle these bumps in the road and find a way to reroute myself towards success.
On a different note, I’ve been considering getting a bike and a bike rack so that I can embark on trail adventures with my family. Of course, I prefer paved trails. Despite being somewhat of a homebody these days, I can imagine the joy of hopping on the bike for a short ride even during a work break. Although, knowing myself, I might get caught up in the search for the perfect bike and end up not getting one at all.
My Spanish skills are continuously improving, and lately, I’ve been challenging myself by translating my thoughts into Spanish. It’s a fun mental exercise that keeps me engaged.
In a brief pause from my thoughts, I took a moment to watch Dave play the piano. His long, nimble fingers dancing across the keys and his gentle sway with focused attention is incredibly captivating and, dare I say, sexy. It reminds me of the first time I witnessed his musical talent at his house when we were dating. It was pretty sexy back then too. Luckily, he’s wearing headphones and can’t hear me confessing all this, otherwise, he might lose his concentration.
Every interaction with Evelyn leaves me in awe. Her voice, her thoughts, and her unwavering self-assurance—she’s a force to be reckoned with. If her developing brain is already this captivating at three, I can only imagine how she’ll shine when she reaches 18. I’ll likely turn to stardust in her presence.
Well, I have a heavy load of clients awaiting me, but I’ll take a moment to relax a bit before I drift off to sleep.
Thank you for listening, and I’ll be back here tomorrow to share more.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 