Day 3197: Giving yourself credit

Often, in therapy sessions, I encourage people to give themselves credit. Many people aren’t accustomed to giving themselves credit, which can definitely take practice.

Last night, I encouraged people to give themselves credit on Twitter (and I’m giving myself credit for this tweet, here and now):

I can also give myself credit for all the photos in today’s blog.

I want to give my son Aaron credit for making those cookie ice cream sandwiches while we were watching the new “biscuits” episode of the latest season of the Great British Baking Show, in honor of National Homemade Cookie Day in the USA.

I can take credit for this other tweet …

… but I don’t think I can really take credit for the other images in today’s blog.

I definitely can’t give myself credit for coming up with the National Days, but I can give myself credit for naming this car …

… The Canary.

When I search YouTube for “giving yourself credit,” there are many things to choose from, so I’m giving myself credit for making a decision and sharing this:

Thanks to all who might give themselves credit (perhaps in the comments section, below?), including YOU.

Day 3173: Ampersands

Today is National Ampersand Day & the second day of Rosh Hashana & the day I go back to see the Ear Nose & Throat people at the hospital about my nosebleed caused by my anticoagulant medications & our new & adorable cat Joan trying to wake me up by scratching my nose & so much more.

Yesterday I started working again after my 2-week vacation & people were very glad to reconnect in an online therapy group & had a lot to say.

Today, as always, I want to welcome all thoughts & feelings including happiness & sadness & fear & anger & despair & hope & so on.

Here are photos & screen captures for today’s post.

How are you going to celebrate & otherwise mark this precious & unique day?

Last night, when we were eating this delicious & nutritious vegetarian chili …

… my husband & cook Michael & my son Aaron & I were talking about the many ways you can get chili in Cincinnati, including with cheese & beans & spaghetti.

Here’s “Ampersand” by They Might Be Giants (a band that Aaron & Michael & I saw in person years & years ago).

Thanks & more thanks to all who visit this blog, including you & you & you & YOU!

Day 3142: Comfortable

Our new cat, Joan, and our old cat, Harley, are getting more comfortable with each other.

That, and the fact that Joan’s skin problem is not dangerous and is resolving, makes me more comfortable.

I am very comfortable sharing my latest images with you.

I am comfortable telling you that 8/8/21 is also my 10th year work anniversary! I’m also comfortable telling you it’s my dream job, where I get to facilitate as many therapy groups as I want.

Do you feel comfortable celebrating this precious day with a dance?

I hope you’re comfortable leaving a comment, below.

As always, I’m comfortable expressing my gratitude to all who help me blog every day, including YOU!

Day 3063: Retirement Plans

Despite the title of today’s post, I have no retirement plans, even though I’m well past the traditional age for retirement. I love my work as a group therapist in a large Boston teaching hospital, so when people ask me about my retirement plans, I say “no plans to retire” and sometimes, when I’m feeling particularly non-retiring, I say, “No retirement plans and when I die, I’d like to have my body stuffed and put in the group room, so I can be THAT kind of therapist.” To illustrate those plans, I get into a typical silent-therapist-listening pose, kind of like this:

Some people think that’s funny, others find it disturbing, and I have no plans to retire that line.

So why is today’s post titled “retirement plans”? I planned that title because of today’s Daily Bitch …

… and because my ex-brother-in-law Joe …

— shown there in an unplanned portrait with my ex-sister-in-law Deborah and their adorable English Setter, Lake — told me yesterday he would like to retire to their lovely home in Connecticut.

I also have no retirement plans regarding this daily blog, so I hope you enjoy today’s typically unplanned post, containing all the photos I snapped yesterday while connecting in Connecticut at Deborah and Joe’s home, at the nearby Harkness Memorial State Park, and at a local restaurant.

I hope the New London restaurant On the Waterfront has no plans to retire their delicious avocado salad, which was a special on the menu last night. My plan last night was to treat Deborah and Joe to to their first meal in a restaurant since the global pandemic changed all our plans a year and a half ago, and those plans worked out very well indeed.

In honor of Joe, here’s “The Retirement Song,” an a cappella sea shanty by The Longest Johns:

What are your thoughts and feelings about retirement plans? Please don’t be shy and retiring about sharing them in a comment, below.

I have no plans to retire my daily expressions of gratitude, so thanks to all who inspire me to blog every day, including YOU.

Day 3007: What is wrong with people?

What is wrong with people asking the question, “What is wrong with people?”

What is wrong with hundreds of people answering that question, including me?

Yet when people ask “What is wrong with me?” in therapy, I answer very differently, with “Is that a helpful question?”

What is wrong with people answering the question “What is wrong with me?” with “Nothing!”

What is wrong with people making a distinction between people as a species and individuals? What is wrong with people letting go of shame (the belief that something is wrong with them) in order to heal?

What is wrong with people sharing their images with other people?

What is wrong with people sharing a song that makes them happy?

What is wrong with people sharing their thoughts and feelings in a safe-enough space (like the comments section, below)?

What is wrong with people expressing gratitude, every day?

Day 2917: Gifts

During a holiday season when we are not exchanging any material gifts, gifts still abound.

I especially appreciate these gifts:

• New leadership for the USA.
• Hope.
• Health.
• A home near the shore.
• Family.
• Friends.
• Faith in myself and in others I trust.
• My work as a group therapist.
• Time off.
• Time.
• Awareness.
• Acceptance.
• Thoughtfulness.
• Joy.
• All the feelings.
• Nourishment.
• Patience.
• Eagerness.
• Curiosity.
• Spontaneity.
• Practice.
• Stillness.
• Movement.
• Music.
• Laughs.
• Love.
• Living.

What gifts do you most appreciate, here and now?

Do you see gifts in today’s images?

I also appreciate the gifts of others.

The gifted blogger Maria left this gift in yesterday’s post, which I am happy to re-gift to you:

As usual, I end with the gift of gratitude, so thanks to you and all the gifts you bring.

Day 2697: Signature moves

One of my signature moves is sharing the Daily Bitch calendar:

Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all need to practice this signature move of pushing everyone away. At least, however, we don’t have to wonder why we’re alone.

Another one of my signature moves is taking photos of what moves me.

Harley and Oscar have very different signature moves (as you can see in this post).

Another one of my signature moves is to choose a song related to one of my images.

My signature moves these days also include:

• Working from home.
• Going on socially distanced walks.
• Facilitating five online “Coping and Healing” groups every week.
• Winding up my Presidency for the Northeastern Society for Group Psychotherapy.
• Spending quality time with those I love.
• Rewriting my original songs to fit current realities.
• Expressing gratitude and appreciation.

What are your signature moves?

Day 2540: Therapy

Since I practice group therapy and individual therapy, I must have created many other “Therapy” posts, right?

What attracts my attention now is this:  the only other post I’ve published with “therapy” in the title is Day 430: What I learned at the group therapy conference,  and that is one of my shortest posts, ever.

So why this therapy post, today?

That’s a sign I saw yesterday at Designer’s Circus in Boston. At Designer’s Circus, I found Therapy and Joy.

That’s Joy, who was one of the many people at Designer’s Circus who heard that I was there to shop for a dress for my December 27 City Hall Wedding and who wanted to be involved in the process.

That’s Kathleen, one of the owners of Designer’s Circus, who helped me find two great dresses. Spending time with her and the other wonderful people I met at Designer’s Circus was definitely therapy for me.

After retail therapy at Designer’s Circus, I got more therapy at the annual glass sale at Almost Perfect Glass in Cambridge, Massachusetts because I spent therapeutic time with my good friend Deb, seen here at last year’s sale.

Wherever I look, I find therapy. Can you find therapy in my other photos from yesterday?

If you want pizza therapy, go to Santarpio’s in Boston, which makes the best pizza I’ve ever had.

How about some music therapy?

Because I especially love group therapy, I wonder how my group of readers will respond to this post.

Gratitude is great therapy for all of us, so thank you!

Day 2331: I’m a fan

I’m a fan of:

• the HBO show Barry,
• the finale of Game of Thrones (although I just started watching it this week, so what do I know?),
• admitting what I know and what I don’t know,
• the music of Game of Thrones,
• watching TV with Michael and the cats,
• Michael’s cooking,
• my son, who’s returning to Boston for the summer this Saturday,
• Dr. William Sharp and his twitter account,
• my friend Jenn and her pugs,
• returning to work after a one-week vacation,
• letting go of grudges (see this helpful article and this one, please),
• saying “please” and “thank you,
•  blogs including this one, this one,  this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one,  this one,  this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one,  this one, this one, this one,  this one, this one, this one,  this one, this one, this one, this one, this one,  this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one,  this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one,
• letting go of fear about leaving people out when I’m expressing appreciation,
• letting go of fear about not getting people’s names right,
• letting go of fear, period,
• expressing appreciation,
• groups, and
• taking and sharing photos.

What are you a fan of?

I’m also a fan of gratitude, as I hope you know.

Day 2317: Spoiler Alert

Spoiler Alert!  Yesterday I saw Avengers: Endgame, the kind of movie that evokes the use of the words “Spoiler Alert!” when people write about it.

Spoiler Alert! I’m alert to the importance of not give away spoilers about a movie that

• billions of people have not yet seen,
• has lots of twists and turns,
• has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes,
• makes people laugh and cry,  and
• says, to me, that group therapy is a very effective way to deal with trauma and loss.

Spoiler Alert!  I am not doing my usual thing of linking to the Wikipedia entry about Avengers: Endgame,  because that has countless alert spoilers in it.

Spoiler Alert!   I wonder if I’m reducing my readership for this blog post by repeating the words “Spoiler Alert”?

Spoiler Alert!  Last night I couldn’t sleep and started writing a song called “Spoiler Alert.”

Spoiler Alert! Here are the lyrics I’ve written so far:

Spoiler alert!

Things in your life are going to hurt.

Even nice people will sometimes be curt.

Some foolish words you’ll be certain to blurt.

Spoiler alert!

You’ll eat too much of a fattening dessert.

   You’ll be afraid that you might lose your shirt.

Someone you love will treat you like dirt.

© Ann Koplow, 2019

My sleepless hours  are not going to spoil my day —  I’ll be alert at work today and also tonight at the sold-out John Mulaney and Pete Davidson comedy benefit for My Brother’s Table.

Spoiler Alert! I’m going to share all my photos from yesterday, right now!

I spoiled that last shot, obviously,  by walking and talking while I was taking it.

Spoiler Alert!  They Might Be Giants have a song called “Spoiler Alert”!

Spoiler Alert!  I’m alert to gratitude all around me, so I can share it with you!