I hope everyone's holiday served them well. I had a pleasurable time with the boyfriend's family, as well as a little visit to my own. I then spent a great time with some friends, which was definitely an experience to say the least, in a good way. Anyhow, my weekend was also filled with packing and moving. Yes, I'm sure most of you know that I am moving back home, very sad to say. This will be a rough week because I'm not looking forward to the move, but everything has it's time and purpose. While it may take a little time to readjust to being home with dad, I'm sure it won't be nearly as bad as I think it is in my head. You know how easy it is to make things bigger in the head, well at least for me, but that's what the voices help with! Just kidding. Life is life and it will be what it is meant to be.

I STEPPED from plank to plank

So slow and cautiously;

The stars about my head I felt,

About my feet the sea.


I knew not but the next

Would be my final inch,

This gave me that precarious gait

Some call experience.

~ Emily Dickinson

I met with a student today who suffers from bipolar. She was fine one minute, participating in classroom activities and then all of the sudden hit a down spell. I pulled her out of the class and did my best to discuss with her what had caused the sudden change in mood. Basically, she doesn't like mainstream school and has no one to talk to. At that point, it's hard because you know that you can say whatever, but if she doesn't want to change her mood and start thinking about less depressing stuff, whatever you say really doesn't matter.

In another individual session today the student was telling me about a friend who is beaten regularly by their mother. She also shared some other personal information about the kind of struggles she's had to deal with. It's very sad. I'm just glad that I'm someone that these students feel they can confide in.

So, after sessions like this it makes me realize that my current situation, however unappealing as it may be, is nothing compared to what these kids go through. No matter how bad you think you have it, there is always someone, somewhere worse off.

Analytically,