I have had a pretty busy fortnight at work but today is very slow. It is funny how that happens. I quite like busy but it is good to have a bit of a slower day. I was actually able to take a break and go across the road to my local cafe and have a coffee and sit on the lounge. It was nice. So what have I been doing? The usual sort of stuff really but some big things have been:

I spoke at a support group for carers of people with a mental illness. They were a great group of people; very real people; very exhausted and overwhelmed but kind. There was one lady however who seemed intent on backing me into a corner. I think she is just so used to being told by organisations and professionals that they can not help her that she assumes from the start that, that is going to happen so refuses to hear that you may be able to. So she just keeps pushing and pushing until you are in a place where you can no longer help. I have seen her at other meetings do the same thing to other presenters and I was told by the rest of the group that she always does it too. I think they are at a stage where they are going to ask her not to attend as she is now causing others to not want to come and making it an unsafe place for them. It was quite sad. It was pretty hard for me but a good experience and I am glad it happened in a place where the rest of the audience was very supportive.

I also went along with a volunteer and her friend to Mix 106.5 as they were been interviewed for a project called the Thank you project. It is a project in which people are given the opportunity to thank people in their lives who have really helped them in some way. It is pretty cheesy but kinda nice. Anyway we were asked if someone would like to do that and this pair agreed. It was very moving for me to hear how far this person has come since being with her friend. She talked about how five years ago (before they met) she rarely got out of bed and when she did life was pretty miserable. She was distant from her family and the community. Now she feels excited about life. She and her friend do volunteer work together and she is doing a TAFE course. She has reconnected with her family and last month attended her nephew’s birthday party. She thanked her friend for supporting her and encouraging her but not doing things for her; for believing her. She thanked her for being a true friend. I am sure that all this can not be attributed to this program but it is exciting to think that it was a part of it.