R is for reframing comments from my critical parent. She is trying to protect me in the only way she knows how. I can love her too.
E is for enlightenment, illumination, and understanding. For education to my core, insight, discernment, and growing wisdom. And for equality.
P is for practicing more functional behavior and celebrating successes. And for people. Fellow travelers to talk with and to reason things out with, too.
A is for acceptance and appreciation. Unconditional acceptance of my inner child, inner teen, and other parts of me. And people, places, and things.
R is for realizations, insights, intuition, and growing a “wise” self. And for restructuring old thoughts into new ways of being.
E is for elephants in the living room! They are dancing now! And for a belching fireplace! Happily spewing smoke into my childhood living room. Quieting the mess and the drama!
N is for nurturing my inner child and inner teen, and adult me, too.
Who would have thought this would ever be possible for me?
And the grounding and peacefulness that goes with this connection to all of me.
T is for transparency, honesty, and being real. For thinking and feeling, and talking, and challenging the “Don’t talk, don’t trust, don’t feel” rule. And having the patience to try again, one day at a time.
I is for integrating my inner child and inner teen into my world, with feelings of awe and excitement, trust, feelings heard, and needs met. Being valued, cherished, and belonging.
N is for needs and learning words to express feelings and needs. So lovely!
And a shift from a win-lose paradigm to a win-win!
Negotiating to meet needs for both people involved, sometimes more! So connecting, so soul-filling!
G is for grateful. Grateful for my glass dome that helped me learn about boundaries. Where I end and another person begins. What is my responsibility, and what is not! Grateful for changes that take time, and the fruits of this program being the highest priority in my life. And glad the 15 or so inner children that first came up have settled down into roughly a couple. Grateful for manageability. No longer feeling like I am herding 15 cats when I go out into the world!
Grateful to be working through reassembling me, putting myself back together, one puzzle piece at a time!
Lena L