Happier Mornings

Never thought the day would come when I would not look forward to reading the New York Times Op Ed pages. Typically I read two newspapers a day: The Miami Herald because I live here and the New York Times because I grew up there and still go there quite a bit and think it's a pretty good paper.

I've looked askance at others who say they don't read newspapers because they can't take knowing about all the bad news. My father was a journalist and my childhood home was awash with every kind of New York newspaper.

And, yes, I know we are living in hard times. Unemployment, wars, terrorism fears. It seems as if every writer can only lament and give dire predictions. Somehow, I think that makes everything worse. Doom and gloom with my breakfast cereal doesn't inspire me to meet the day's challenges. And we need to feel some inspiration so that we can cope with the current world. What if I told my depressed clients that the world is a hopeless place?

Yes, we need to know what is happening. But, I don't need to read day after day about how demoralized Bob Herbert is. His columns used to give me a lift, help me feel that there was something worth salvaging. It's not that I disagree with what he is saying. We have squandered opportunities to improve on the current situation. We do need a much more comprehensive program than the piecemeal bits we've been getting. I'm not sure what the answer is because I do know that the purpose of journalislm is, as Heywood Broun once said, "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

I only know that constant focus on what is not working promotes depression and hopelessness. When I work with my clients, I look for their inner resources and strengths. I help them see how their survival skills have gotten them through hard times and help build their confidence by increasing their self-esteem. I'd like to have a jolt of optimism in the mornings. And, coffee won't do the trick.

Loving What I Do

I am so glad that I chose the career that I did. I go to work eagerly every day and have no intention of retiring. Somehow, in my senior year in high school, I decided that I wanted to be a psychologist. That took my teachers by some surprise, as I had not been very academically motivated. For years I'd been told that I was not working up to my potential. And, then, boom! I knew what I wanted to do and set upon pursuing my goal. To think that my private school refused to recommend me to some of the colleges I wanted to attend! I was told that all I was going to do anyway was "to get married and have children!" This was in the mid sixties. When I finally did obtain my Ph.D., I fantasized about sending that woman a copy of my degree.

Anyway, over forty years later, I am so glad that I followed my own convictions. I feel so privileged to be able to work with my clients. And, as the years have unfolded, I've learned so much from them as they grant me access to their very private journeys. I've learned so many different techniques and approaches. I have such respect for the whole person and for the way that our minds and bodies communicate. I've delighted in helping people reach their potential through helping them integrate their inner and outer experiences.

And to my high school doubting Tomasina, I would add that I am happily married and have wonderful children and grandchildren.