It's my favorite month of the year, right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The whole season makes me giddy. I've been aching to put up Christmas decorations for about a month now. I know it's silly to have them out while the air-conditioning is still on, but I love the wonder and enchantment that comes with the season.
Here it is, just after midnight, and I'm sitting by our newly-erected Christmas tree. It's not complete...just the lights and ribbon are on. Joy and I are too nervous to put the ornaments on with the dog (he's been all puppy recently) and thought we'd see what he does with a plain tree for a few days before temping him with all sorts of colors and smells. But other decorations are out, and the enchantment has begun.
But as I sit here, I'm thinking everything at this moment is just what it should be. There is a nip in the air, but it's toasty inside. There are candles scattered about our apartment, and I am sitting next to those always-enticing white lights on the tree. Is there anyone else who can just look at a tree for hours, trying to soak in each moment? Maybe that's what I love about this season. In the business and chaos, it always seems to slow me down, especially on evenings like this. I've done some present-wrapping and reading and am listening to my new CD that will surely have a blog of its own soon. The dog is curled up nearby and Joy is asleep on the sofa across from me. Of course, she's wearing her candy-cane pajamas and is just as cute as cute can be. I'm sipping on a nice Chilean Cabernet while I enjoy some brie and tangerine and I wonder why there can't be a "Pause" button for this moment. I find myself not wanting to go to bed knowing that as morning comes, so has the moment been lost to memory.
I hope you join with me in the enchantment this month. It's a time of reflection and revelry, insanity and intimacy, panic and peace.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thankful Thoughts
I have so much to be thankful for this year. A wife that I love and who loves me. A dog who I love and who loves me. A God who I love and who loves me. Cool, huh?
As if that wasn't enough, I'm really enjoying my internship this year. Granted, it's not ideal to work 30 hours a week and not get paid, but that's life, and at least I'm at a site that I like. The staff are great to work with, and there's a high level of clinical competency and excellence. Wonderful supervision and good trainings. The agency focuses on family treatment and a lot of the clients come for issues related to substance use. The agency is also a leader in experiential education and wilderness therapy, which is a primary reason I wanted to be here. (Not to mention it's a mile from our apartment!)
In addition to my family and individual sessions, I co-facilitate four groups, all of which are very different. Three are on-site and one's in a local school. Also, last month I was able to take part in a training to be certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Since my internship site does wilderness therapy trips (and hopefully I'll be able to help lead some this year...), they provide training for trip leaders on best-practices in wilderness medicine when in remote settings. The training was intense, but fantastic. I was reminded of my love for the outdoors and getting away from the rest of society. I've just started reading a book titled "The Last Child in the Woods," and the author talks about Nature Deficit Disorder and the current generation's lack of exposure to anything outside. Interesting indeed.
That's just a little glimpse at my internship right now, and it's definitely something I'm thankful for. What are you thankful for?
As if that wasn't enough, I'm really enjoying my internship this year. Granted, it's not ideal to work 30 hours a week and not get paid, but that's life, and at least I'm at a site that I like. The staff are great to work with, and there's a high level of clinical competency and excellence. Wonderful supervision and good trainings. The agency focuses on family treatment and a lot of the clients come for issues related to substance use. The agency is also a leader in experiential education and wilderness therapy, which is a primary reason I wanted to be here. (Not to mention it's a mile from our apartment!)
In addition to my family and individual sessions, I co-facilitate four groups, all of which are very different. Three are on-site and one's in a local school. Also, last month I was able to take part in a training to be certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Since my internship site does wilderness therapy trips (and hopefully I'll be able to help lead some this year...), they provide training for trip leaders on best-practices in wilderness medicine when in remote settings. The training was intense, but fantastic. I was reminded of my love for the outdoors and getting away from the rest of society. I've just started reading a book titled "The Last Child in the Woods," and the author talks about Nature Deficit Disorder and the current generation's lack of exposure to anything outside. Interesting indeed.
That's just a little glimpse at my internship right now, and it's definitely something I'm thankful for. What are you thankful for?
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