Lollipop

We have started counselling. I find my biggest challenge in a counselling session is to keep my mouth shut. By this I mean, don't go speaking for other people. Yes, when it's my turn, and the attention is focused on me, I may speak.

When it is time for others to speak, I take on the role of editor and explainer. Perhaps you know the feeling. It's when someone you don't know well, tells you a story about themselves and they talk about George and Gracie, you don't know if George and Gracie are alive or dead, friend or foe, dog or bird. And if I know that George and Gracie are a couple of basset hounds, I will tell the audience/listener when I see the puzzled look on their face.

So as I opened my big editing mouth, I thought our therapist was going to have me excuse myself from the room. He did not. Instead he got up, went to a corner of the room where he keeps a package of lollipops. He offered me one. He said "any time I feel I had something to say, that I should stick this in my mouth." It worked beautifully. Our therapist is a miracle worker. I hope he has such easy fixes for my husband and daughter.

Rede..... Redress ..... Redeem..... Reduce..... Redo