Balance in life
My job is to work with complex and high needs clients. What that means is I work with difficult clients and/or clients that have complex issues (eg. mental health issues, disability – physical and intellectual, frail and aged, terminal illness, medical issues, behavioural issues, children and youth at risk).
It’s an intense job and one that many people find extremely difficult and unrewarding. All day at work I am working with people with very complex and sometimes heartbreaking issues in their lives. These people are often very misunderstood (for various reasons) and have experienced/are experiencing terrible things in their lives.
Because of the issues and people I work with all day and every day I need to be silly and funny when I’m not here. It would depress me terribly to go home and watch a documentary (or tv series such as Law and Order SVU)on child abuse after I have spent my day talking to a women escaping a domestic violence situation where her children were sexually assaulted.
Home time is where I can stop having involvement with the terrible people that are around and stop thinking of the situations my clients are in.
When asked by J what I want to watch on tv when we’re sitting on the couch.. my choice is always funny. I need to see funny things, have a laugh, forget about the clients and laugh for a time.
It’s funny to think how people balance their lives. It is known that many comedians actually have depression. Perhaps that is how life balances things for them.
I am surrounded by issues that most people wouldn’t think twice about in their lives – they are issues that are too distasteful to think about as it makes people too uncomfortable, and as my balance I have to lose myself in comedy and fantasy. A book I can lose myself in about magickal worlds, or something that is just utterly ridiculous and funny that it makes me cry in laughter.
I love my job, I love being able to help these people when no-one else will.. some days I go home and cry but I love it anyway (perhaps I’m a glutton for punishment!). After seeing the problems my clients face it just reinforces how blessed we are in our lives. I am so blessed to have the things I have in my life and thank the Goddess and God for all I have.
Yule and pressies!
The Yule season is definately being felt in our household!
We have 3 trees in our house (yes, that was 3 that I said!) and quite a few decorations to be found both upstairs and downstairs.
A few nights ago, J and I decided we just had to make Yule cookies. They're absolutely gorgeous look cute too!
I've done a bit of my present shopping but still have quite a bit to go yet. Having a really hard time working out what to get James. He has given us all a huge list of DVDs he wants, but I really don't want to get him just DVDs and nothing else. Really am stuck in that regard at the moment.
I'm really excited about the presents I've gotten for J, as I know he is going to love them so much. (I'd really like to post here and say what I've gotten him but I know he reads here and he just isn't allowed to know!)
Not long now!
International White Ribbon Day
Today is United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
This is a major issue facing women (and men) the world over. Domestic Violence is often hidden and secret, and is kept behind closed doors.
Domestic Violence takes on a number of forms including:
- physical assault
- sexual assault and abuse
- emotional, psychological and verbal abuse
- intimidation, threats and stalking
- social and cultural abuse
- economic abuse
Some interesting facts:
- 1 in 4 women have experienced some form of Domestic Violence at some time in their lives
- Severe and ongoing domestic violence has been documented in almost every culture in which it has been studied (Fishcach & Herbert 1997)
- Experiencing domestic violence has been likened to being held in captivity or as a prisoner or war with some women experiencing post traumatic stress disorder
- 17% of children witness their father hitting their mother (National Crime Prevention 2000)
- 33% of children living with Domestic Violence report being hit by their father whilst trying to defend their mother or stop the violence (Bianchard et al 1992)
Domestic Violence is not something to be tolerated or accepted. It is not acceptable in any situation or for any reason.
It is not right to hurt someone you love.
It is not right for someone you love to hurt you.
Women deserve respect.
Still alive and thriving
I've been gone for so very long!
The very main reason I have been gone for so long was the very simple reason that I hated my template! I would cringe every time I saw the template came here to have a look. It didn't fit me, it wasn't working right and for some reason lines kept disappearing whenever I looked at the page. I'm using this for the time being - not exactly what I want but will have to do for the time being.
So much to catch up on, but it is almost midnight and am going to training on Domestic Violence awareness tomorrow which is a 40 min drive away.
Promise though.. updates will be coming more frequently (I know I've said this before! Telling the truth this time though!)
If anyone out there is still reading, let me know.
