waxing philosophical

Every interaction we have with others is a message in a bottle. We all send messages- even if we don't say anything. And the scariest part: we have no idea where these messages will end up. All we can keep track of is what we send.


This is most harrowing for a counselor. The fear that something said will be misunderstood, misconstrued, or mis-appropriated/taken out of context, is paramount! It gets really frightening when terms like "liability" get tossed around. Seems like every day I'm talking with someone about suicide, divorce, violence, or some other massive life-altering decision. And when they leave my office, I often feel like I've merely sent a message in a bottle.


I'm discharging a kid next week. It's bittersweet; ending a relationship, but satisfied that I did a solid job and prepared the kid to be okay without me. This particular kid is really significant- I've been working with him for over a year, and I've been beside him through some really tough times. I have trained him rigorously; rehearsed every skill, identified every forseeable obstacle and planned for many unforseen obstacles. And now, it's time to throw the bottle.


Sometimes I feel like I put a piece of me in each bottle and eventually there will be nothing left of me. Bad self-care, perhaps. But I also believe what I give isn't scarce. I give love. And when you have Jesus Christ in your life, you draw love from a never-ending wellspring. Somebody smarter than me made an observation about love: the more you give it away the more you seem to have.


Today, Monday, my prayer is that I remember the wellspring, and stray not far from it. Also, that I might give but a percentage of what has been given to me. If I do these things, everything will be fine.