Change in (gr)atitude

I needed a reminder. My attitude today really sucked.

1. Daylight Savings. More sunlight is better.
2. Gray cats with white bellies. Unconditional lovers of their mom, even when she deserts them for a weekend.
3. Old friends. There's nothing quite like spending quality time with people who've known you well for a long, long time.
4. Parents who will work hard for their kids. I just discharged a lovely family today, the parents were more in treatment than the child, mainly because they were so eager to learn how to help him.
5. Cake. The hospital celebrated our month of no physical holds/seclusions/restraints with buttercream frosting.

Next weekend I'm working at CZC to shadow another "healing circle leader," who is a foster care social worker, in the hopes (theirs and mine) that I'll be fully ready to be an independent healing circle leader for the next camp. This month's camp is teens only, and I will be with the 15 and barely 16 year olds. I am wondering if I will be as exhausted..last time I was with 9 year olds and I was DONE by the end of the weekend. I remember John coming over Sunday night when I got home. I could barely stay awake to eat take out and legitimately pretend I WASN'T sleeping during the movie, poor guy. That Pelham 123 movie should be slept through, anyway. Not that I'm glad he's gone, but I won't be in any shape to hang out after the weekend, if last camp was any indication. Too emotionally overwhelming, and work was really difficult the next day. Not only did I not care about the petty nuances of hospital work, I also didn't have any energy to do much of anything. I'm hoping for a little better transition this time, and think yoga might be a good help.

Today at work one of my patients, troubled young man that he usually is, wanted to give me a gift, one of his sculptures. I sort of looked at him with skepticism as the sculpture he had with him was a penis that was painted black. How art staff let him get away with such a creation, is beyond me. I mean, someone had to provide him 1) the clay, 2) the black paint and 3) the time to utilize it for inappropriate means. Anyway, this particular sculpture was not to be given away, it was confiscated instead, and I had the choice of two little snails he crafted today. He offered me the "girl" snail because I am a girl, and the girl snail is "skinnier." Bless you, child.