Have you ever set off and then faced challenges and thought your journey would never end? Or even wondered if you’d survive?
In 1992 I joined a team going to Romania equipped to renovate a foster home and provide training in orphanages for children with HIV. We set off in a small convoy traveling through France, Germany, and Hungary. It was a demanding journey. We drove through nights taking turns to sleep on the back seats of a minibus, we ran out of food, we spent over 24 hours in a queue at the Romanian border with attempts made to steal the aid we carried, we picked up a profusely bleeding (and drunk) man and diverted to a hospital to get him care. One night when we did stop at a hotel we were woken at 2 am by the staff as two 5 l tins of gloss paint had fallen in the lorry and were leaking over their car park. On that trip, there were many members of the team in tears and a good few rants and arguments. We did however arrive in Constanta. The journey was awful but as I look back I remember all we achieved and the fun we had. The challenging journey had been worth it. I do wish I could share some photos with you but they are buried in the attic. (I may put some up when we pack to move)
For now, here is a quote you’ve probably heard many times but it is so true:
I began drawing my ‘her little dog’ illustrations in early 2021. At that time my mental health was not good. I was receiving EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) therapy. The therapy was hard and at times provoked nightmares. It sometimes felt worse before I began.
One day I was out for a walk and the rain had caused a huge muddy puddle leading to the style on the track. I realised to get to my destination I had to put up with the dirt and cold and walk through it. I did, it was almost to my knees! As I reflected I saw it as a metaphor for my therapy. Going through it would lead me somewhere much better.
I captured the moment in my journey. The EMDR did indeed take me to a better place.
I’d love to hear your comments or answer any questions esp about EMDR. You can comment anonymously if you prefer.
Remember why you started
Well put! You connect and relate so well, few would guess the journey.