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Validating "vignettes"
Blog
Roads, Loads and Empathy
| Posted on November 29, 2021 at 2:05 AM |
Always in the car is when I have my best thoughts. I chat with myself all the way to wherever I’m going, wishing I could jot down the gems that seem to love to light up my neurons while I can’t reach the pen and paper. Same happens in the shower.
Today I was hurtling along a motorway in very hilly bushy terrain, weaving back and forth between lanes as I passed trucks and other laden vehicles on the uphill, only to have them pass me on the downhill once the crest was conquered. Repeat. Patchy rain and fog too.
I caught myself not only focusing on my own motoring moves, but on the moves of the motorists around me, anticipating what they might need too, feeling anxious should I inconvenience or block them in some way, being considerate of ways I can make it easier for them. And then I remembered that I have equal rights on the road. And just like everyone else, I have a responsibility to maintain control of my own vehicle only, abide by the rules of the road, anticipate only what I need to in order to maintain safety, indicate and move only when it is safe to do so. And all of this for my own sake as much as anyone else’s. I am equal. The road is mine as much as it is theirs.
I ask myself why I feel the need to subjugate myself to the needs of those around me, not only other motorists in this case, but others around me in general? Why do I feel I need to get out of the way so others are not hindered in any way? Why are their needs more important than mine? Why do I feel compelled to meet or accommodate the needs and preferences of others above my own? Why do I catch myself apologising frequently, as though I even need to justify my presence. When did those feelings start? Why do I still have these feelings of low self-worth and inferiority after years of gaining knowledge, regular therapy, lots of self-talk and even providing support for others?
I am an empath. Acutely aware of the feelings of others, feeling them myself. True empathy includes appropriate action. It’s not enough to just feel it, the need compels a response. From an empath especially. And somehow I’ve taken to heart the message that I exist only for the care or benefit of others. So it’s a compulsion. And a self-worth issue. My purpose is for others.
Even the Bible says to do good to others if it is in the power of your hand to do so. Nothing like throwing in a bit of Scripture to reinforce good Christian behaviour. And cement the compulsion. And reinforce my purpose.
But where’s the line? I often find myself coming back to the “fine lines”. What needs do I respond to? Where does my responsibility lie? How far do I go? Is my life to be only about anticipating and facilitating the needs of those around me? Who cares for my needs?
Another little bit of Scripture brings balance to my thoughts, and reason to ease my compulsion. We are to “bear each other’s burdens” but “carry our own load”. Burdens make us weary and discouraged, they are difficult to endure – it would make sense to care and help each other in times like that. But what is the “load” each of us is to carry? Perhaps it’s that which we should take responsibility for – the load of our own life and function. I’m ok with that. And I’m ok with caring for others and helping them when their burden is too heavy.
But I must not make the responsibilities of another become a burden that I carry. That is for them to carry, as I must carry my own.
And so, on the road as with anywhere else I find myself, I am to take responsibility for my own vehicle, my own life, my “load”. But be ready to care and respond “in word and deed” when another is discouraged and weighed down by burdens that are too much for them to carry alone.
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Value Life
| Posted on May 22, 2013 at 7:50 PM |
comments (151)
|
"I was crushed ... so much so that I despaired even of life, but that was to make me rely not on myself, but on the God who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:8,9. "The pressure of hard places makes us value life. Every time our life is given back to us from such a trial, it is like a new beginning, and we learn better how much it is worth, and make more of it for God and man. The pressure (also) helps us to understand the trials of others, and fits us to help and sympathise with them." A B Simpson (taken from "Streams in the Desert" by C Cowman) (Due to spam, I have removed the option for readers to make a comment.
If you would like to respond or make a comment, please contact the
author by email. Thanks heaps.) |
Speaking of Estrangement ...
| Posted on November 21, 2012 at 11:53 PM |
comments (9)
|
As I find myself
enjoying that old familiar feeling once again of reading what I “choose” rather
than what is “required” for study purposes, I was blessed recently to find the
latest edition of a little magazine for Christian women in my letterbox. How lovely to sit and have my heart nourished
by the inspirational words and thoughtful articles within, as I sip on a cuppa. As I pondered my
way through the stories and thoughts, I noted an article on recovering from
estrangement, and then I noticed some promotional comments for a book I was
familiar with entitled “Connecting with your Asperger Partner: Negotiating the Maze of Intimacy” by author Louise
Weston. Having these two
topics mentioned in the same publication struck me as very interesting and a
strange co-incidence because in my own personal life’s journey, estrangement
and Asperger’s Syndrome are inextricably tied together. I felt moved to respond to this magazine
article by making some comments of my own. We are all aware
of situations within families or between friends that seem particularly
resistant to reconciliation or negotiation, and I believe there may in some
situations be another, but somewhat obscure angle to this matter of estrangement
that most people won’t have known to suspect. In 1983, as a hope-filled
young Pastor’s daughter I married a man who fervently loved the Lord and was
deeply committed to the ministries of our local church. I believed my husband and I were well matched
in many ways and we were both very devoted to the Lord and to supporting the
ministries of the church for the long term. Almost from the
day of our wedding, and almost always behind closed doors, a strange and
frightening phenomenon began to erode away at the essence of my husband’s and
my relationship. We struggled in a
devastating way with the typical expectations that Christian husbands and wives
have of themselves and each other, particularly when living under the gaze of
fellow believers and church leaders. Our story is
long and complex, and too much to write here, but as a young and idealistic
Christian wife I began to judge my husband as being sinful, self-centred,
fragile and spiritually immature, particularly in the light of the positions of
respect and leadership he held within the church. As the church teachings were my only frame of
reference, I had no other way to define what was happening, and lived with
confusion on a moment-by-moment basis. I
did seek help from leaders in the church, but on the whole my claims were met
somewhat with disbelief and a hint that I was resisting my place of submission
within my marriage (feel the hackles rising on the back of my neck now!). At times I would
sense that there appeared to be no malicious intent on my husband’s part, just
a fixation on things being done in a prescribed way and order and sometimes just
a desperation for survival somehow that didn’t make sense in the context of his
abilities, knowledge and what we knew we could be in Christ. Biblical principles for relationship seemed somehow
out of reach for us, with a sense that there were gaps much deeper in the
foundation of personality and cognitive development. Sadly we lived a marriage of estrangement on
a daily basis, with no clue of how to respond effectively to each other, in
fact I am not certain that we ever resolved even one issue. We just seemed to be on different pages in
every situation, and never the twain could meet. It ripped us apart, and carved deep wounds in
the lives of our five children; children we’d borne and loved in the constant
hope that our marriage and home would one day become a place of safety and
nurture as I’d always dreamed. Then, in October
2000, after 17 long and grief-stricken years, my husband’s behaviour was finally
identified as being characteristic of an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome. It is impossible
to find the words to describe the relief this knowledge brought. So much so that I have spent much of my
energy since that day devoting myself to learning about Asperger’s Syndrome in
relationships, and contributing what I can to provide support for partners and
family members of adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. It was in this context, probably about 7
years ago now, that I first had contact with Louise Weston, the author of the book I mentioned earlier “Connecting with your Asperger Partner”.
Louise and I were both involved in support groups for partners of adults
with Asperger’s Syndrome, but in two different cities within Australia. As a result of our common interest in
relationships affected by Asperger’s Syndrome, I was asked by Louise to make a
small contribution to her book.
The reason why I
felt so moved recently to add my comments to the magazine topic of estrangement
is because I firmly believe that it could be worth considering the possibility
of the presence of the traits of Asperger’s Syndrome when negotiation and reconciliation
just seem unattainable in spite of great effort and even mediation. The estrangement may be between a parent and
adult children, adult siblings, those who were once friends, marital partners
or others who have had some sort of emotional connection at some point. There will have been genuine attempts on the
part of one to respectfully discuss differences and find reconciliation but to
no avail, with no shift in the position or view of the other person, and
sometimes even a worsening of the estrangement. It would take
too long to provide detail here about Asperger’s Syndrome, but AS involves
significant difficulties in the use and interpretation of words and meanings; blindness
to body language, hints and cues; literal interpretation; inability to
generalise from one situation to another; a need for things to be done in a prescribed
manner or order; difficulty accepting the opinions and views of others; finely
tuned sensitivities and avoidance of a range of situations and experiences;
difficulty with emotion recognition and management; lack of awareness of the
impact of their words and behaviours on those around them; lack of reciprocity
within relationship; etc. It is my personal
belief that many with AS traits will be drawn to the more literal and
fundamental styles or preferences of Faith and Practise because they will typically
seek out structure, order, routines, rules, forms of hierarchy, black and white
views and opinions, etc. They will often
stick to principle and ritual and miss the essence of a situation, or the human
element. When one views
some of these things through the filter of spiritual explanations only, without
the benefit of knowledge of neurological difference, then it is easy to imagine
how our little judging finger can have a field day. During a
workshop in Sydney in 2009, Tony Attwood, Australian’s most prominent Asperger
Specialist from Brisbane made a comment that “Without an understanding of
Asperger’s Syndrome, people make a moral judgment (about an AS person’s
behaviours)”. As Christians we are
further in danger of spiritually judging a fellow-Christian, when in fact they
may have some characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome and as yet be
undiagnosed. AS can be quite hidden and
not easily recognised even by professionals. I thank God,
deeply, for the day I learned about Asperger’s Syndrome. This knowledge has enabled me to understand
and accept what happened to my family and has changed the way I view everyone I
come into contact with. By God’s grace I
am learning to have compassion and mercy before I judge. None of us know the struggles of others or the
different perspectives they may hold, sometimes as a result of the way their
brain is wired and outside of their control.
God’s grace abounds, and His love and mercy extend to all, whether
neurologically “typical” or neurologically “different”. Rather than becoming more spiritually
sophisticated in our attitudes, our prayer should be to have gentle and
accepting attitudes and a return to simple faith and humility, where love and
equality is the common ground. These comments
are not meant in any way to minimize the beautiful heart-yearning for
reconciliation where estrangement has taken place, or to deny that in some
situations hearts are just hard, but I just believe it is helpful for us to
know that there may be other contributors in some situations. For those who
may suspect that an estrangement is as a result of the presence of Asperger
characteristics, it will be necessary for you to make an adjustment to what you
expect from the other person and also to your own approach. This will mean drawing heavily on God’s grace. Verbal confrontation is rarely successful,
and email/writing may need to play a part in your reconciliation efforts. The only way to approach and negotiate with
an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome is by having a calm, respectful but firm
approach, using logic, facts and statements, avoiding emotional expression or escalation, and
ultimately accepting that you may never find a place of emotional connectedness
again with that person. In some situations it may be possible to find a place of respectfully accepting each
other’s positions and reducing any hostility that’s been present. Remember that
your gestures towards reconciliation may not be reciprocated, but this doesn’t mean that the other
person is rejecting your gestures, they may simply just not know how to
respond, or know that they are expected to respond. If harm continues, it will be up to you to
gently but firmly put boundaries in place rather than expecting the other
person to understand or correct the offence, or to change. For more
information about Asperger’s Syndrome in relationships, visit . ©Carol Grigg, Dip Counselling,
Member ACA, Grad Member AIPC
(Due to spam, I have removed the option for readers to make a comment.
If you would like to respond or make a comment, please contact the
author by email. Thanks heaps.) |
Disclosures of Faith
| Posted on July 10, 2012 at 7:16 AM |
comments (6)
|
Recently I was asked why I haven’t acknowledged my Faith on
my website. I am sharing my response here as a blog entry. I haven’t stepped forward about my Faith in relation to my counselling
practice because I haven’t actually had formal Christian counselling training
and I don’t want to make any false claims. Secondary to that are other personal reasons, and maybe in
time I will put more about my Faith on my website, particularly as I write the
occasional blog. It is hard not to
include my Faith when I write, because it holds the deepest of meaning for me. For now, I will share the following. To this day I continue to hold a lot of pain
in my heart in relation to my experience for many years of being isolated and disbelieved and
misjudged by my church family who I trusted, who were the only community I
knew. This does affect me a lot, and I
believe what my children and I experienced was in contradiction to what Jesus
role-modelled for Christians. I am reluctant to be too “out there” about my Faith as well
because, on the whole, I do find that Christians can tend to be less accepting
of people than non-Christians, and in fact can be quite abrasive and sometimes
severe. I have noticed time and time
again how Christians will initially analyse new people they meet and weigh them
up according to their own Christian values, and then accept them if they
measure up or have values in common. I actually
reject this approach. I believe it’s important to accept people in the same way
Christ did, and meet them where they’re at and remember that they’re human
beings first. Faith and values can
quickly come into an interaction once those first steps of rapport are built,
but I think Christians often do it the wrong way around. Like anyone we meet, we don’t have to go on
and become friends with those we have little in common with, but it is
important to always be approachable and genuinely accepting. Additionally to my private counselling I also work part-time for the local health and community services
and I admire the attitudes of the people I work with (none have a profession of
faith in Christ that I'm aware of at this stage). These wonderful people
recognise the right of every human being to be heard and supported, and they do
all in their power to make this happen.
It is a privilege to work with them.
The human needs come first. Like
the Scriptures talk about a cup of water being given in Jesus’ Name. If we were a Christian organisation, then the
opportunities would follow to minister to their eternal souls, but they need to
be safe, warm, fed, and have some dignity as a human being before they can
intelligently consider the things of God.
Even so, matters of Faith should only ever be offered, never forced. In my work place I have made it clear from the beginning
that I am a Christian, and wherever I can I quietly try to put a more balanced
perspective around the issues they’ve had with various “church” people in their
experience. It’s an opportunity to clarify what Christianity is really
about, and to talk about Christ’s example on this earth, making a distinction
between Christ’s attitude and some of the unfortunate attitudes held by many churches
and Christians. In my counselling, I approach every client as a valuable
human being who needs to be heard and supported. If a client is a Christian and wants to
discuss things from a Christian perspective I will be comfortable to
participate in this. Otherwise, my approach
is based on my ongoing general training and professional development as a
Counsellor and I respect all cultures, Faiths and preferences. (Due to spam, I have removed the option for readers to make a comment. If you would like to respond or make a comment, please contact the author by email. Thanks heaps.) |