“After coming down from my refuge in the mountains, I started to think about Audrey and Dixie. They had never acted like I was a burden to them - not even close. . .
“I stopped by Audrey's house that evening without calling first. Audrey was a busy, involved mother with many children. Fortunately her husband was extremely supportive. . .
“That evening, Audrey's household was full of lively children. Seeing that I was troubled, she looked around at her family and realized it would be impossible to have a heart-to-heart discussion with me there, so she suggested an alternative.
"‘Shawna, let's go for a ride.’"
“When we were in the car, I told her everything that had happened with Louise, after which I drilled her with the questions that were pressing on me:
“‘Audrey, am I too much trouble for you? Do you wish I didn't come over so much? Is this too much burden for you? I am so worried that I have become such a burden and you are too nice to tell me to go away.’
“. . . With her hands on the steering wheel, Audrey turned to me and said, ‘Shawna, Dixie and I talk several times a week about you.’
“I knew they had spoken to each other. . . As a general rule, Dixie dealt with my child parts and Audrey spoke to my adult parts. It dawned on me that to get a whole picture of what was happening with me, they would need to speak to each other. . .
“Audrey went on to say: ‘Yes, Shawna. We really want what's best for you and we love you. We have never felt burdened by knowing you and being part of your life.’
“She paused for a moment as she turned a corner onto another street. Glancing across at me she continued, ‘In fact, Shawna, we believe you've kept quiet long enough and should talk as much as you need to.’” (My Tears Fall Inside, pages 113-115)
Audrey and Dixie both knew that the road to healing involved talking about all of the things that troubled and traumatized the different parts. They also realized that until those parts were able to talk and talk and cry, they would remain in their unhealed state. However, Audrey and Dixie had also learned that the parts would only talk if they felt loved and safe.
Just as it was true for my inside parts, it is also true for others. What a blessing we can be in the lives of others, if we can create a safe place for family and friends to be able to express the things that bother and upset them. Sometimes it takes lots of time, but eventually our loved ones will be able to talk through and work out their inside turmoil and their burdens will become lighter.
“I stopped by Audrey's house that evening without calling first. Audrey was a busy, involved mother with many children. Fortunately her husband was extremely supportive. . .
“That evening, Audrey's household was full of lively children. Seeing that I was troubled, she looked around at her family and realized it would be impossible to have a heart-to-heart discussion with me there, so she suggested an alternative.
"‘Shawna, let's go for a ride.’"
“When we were in the car, I told her everything that had happened with Louise, after which I drilled her with the questions that were pressing on me:
“‘Audrey, am I too much trouble for you? Do you wish I didn't come over so much? Is this too much burden for you? I am so worried that I have become such a burden and you are too nice to tell me to go away.’
“. . . With her hands on the steering wheel, Audrey turned to me and said, ‘Shawna, Dixie and I talk several times a week about you.’
“I knew they had spoken to each other. . . As a general rule, Dixie dealt with my child parts and Audrey spoke to my adult parts. It dawned on me that to get a whole picture of what was happening with me, they would need to speak to each other. . .
“Audrey went on to say: ‘Yes, Shawna. We really want what's best for you and we love you. We have never felt burdened by knowing you and being part of your life.’
“She paused for a moment as she turned a corner onto another street. Glancing across at me she continued, ‘In fact, Shawna, we believe you've kept quiet long enough and should talk as much as you need to.’” (My Tears Fall Inside, pages 113-115)
Audrey and Dixie both knew that the road to healing involved talking about all of the things that troubled and traumatized the different parts. They also realized that until those parts were able to talk and talk and cry, they would remain in their unhealed state. However, Audrey and Dixie had also learned that the parts would only talk if they felt loved and safe.
Just as it was true for my inside parts, it is also true for others. What a blessing we can be in the lives of others, if we can create a safe place for family and friends to be able to express the things that bother and upset them. Sometimes it takes lots of time, but eventually our loved ones will be able to talk through and work out their inside turmoil and their burdens will become lighter.
RSS Feed