He calls me "preciosa" or "bonita" sometimes. Not frequently...but every now and then he does. He means it as a term of endearment, not at all to be disrespectful or inappropriate. I believe he is trying to show how grateful he is for the help I provide for him.
Sessions with him are nothing short of exhausting the majority of the time. The main reason is because he speaks only Spanish. While I understand it just fine and can speak it almost fluently, it's really pretty tiring having to think and speak in a different language and "feel" in a different cultural context. There are times I have to get a fluent Spanish-speaking coworker to help with really difficult concepts. Mostly, I have to handle it myself. And, at the end of the hour, it feels like my brain has gone through a blender.
He has a variety of medical and mental health issues, both for which I offer counseling services, guidance, and referrals to other providers.
In some ways he reminds me of my father. They are the same age... Oddly enough, someone once remarked that I could look like his daughter. I believe there are some traces of transference and countertransference (both therapeutic - not detrimental) there. I use it as part of the work.
I know a lot about him. He barely knows anything about me. That's the weird thing about my profession. I have to act as a blank slate, as it were, and not self-disclose anything unless it might be helpful and not serving my own needs. I remember sharing with him that my dad is a doctor at some point over the past couple of years working with him.
Anyway, the other day at the end of one of our meetings, he looked at me and smiled, thanked me -- all in Spanish, of course. And then said, "I think I would like to meet your father one day."
I smiled back, a bit surprised, and asked him why.
His answer. "He must be a great man...I see it in you. How you are. The way you work so hard. He must be proud."
I was kind of blown away by the comment. After he left, I tried to process it. At work, I try to be like my dad actually and how I've witnessed him work. It's kind of amazing that this man picked this up. I can't even explain what I felt...extremely touched...happy...sad. Sad because it made me think of my dad and his recent health issues. Sad because it's been hard accepting that he may not be around for as long as I would like and hope him to be.
This man gave me a gift by saying what he said. Unknowingly. My work is so rewarding in that way.
But, I gotta say, I get exhausted from it sometimes. I need to keep something left in that emotional gas tank for myself. Lately I have been running on empty, just kinda gutting it out this week. Thankfully, I am taking some time off soon to take care of me. I'm sure work stress isn't helpful to my own health right now.
Anyway, the original pic of this is larger and includes more of the landscape. I like this closer crop instead. It isn't the best picture. But I think it's kind of pretty. Makes me feel at peace...
@tosee@philipmad1@amandal thank you all for the faves. :) I loved the light on the water that day. Almost couldn't stop looking at it. Glad I captured it.
@zosimasy thanks, Charles. I hate cropping photos too much and this is a bit more than I usually like. It's my own practice that if I'm cropping a pic too much afterwards, I probably could have taken a better picture of what I actually wanted. I wish I had more time to snap the pic as close up as they way I cropped it. But I felt like I was intruding on their private moment and the woman kept looking back at me, annoyed. So I played it off like I was trying to take a pic of the water.
P.S. For those who don't speak Spanish or didn't feel like google translating the title, it says "We are going to do it together. Together we are stronger." Thought it was appropriate for the pic.
@zosimasy thanks, Charles. I hate cropping photos too much and this is a bit more than I usually like. It's my own practice that if I'm cropping a pic too much afterwards, I probably could have taken a better picture of what I actually wanted. I wish I had more time to snap the pic as close up as they way I cropped it. But I felt like I was intruding on their private moment and the woman kept looking back at me, annoyed. So I played it off like I was trying to take a pic of the water.
@ibt thank you so much, Ilona!
@snaphappy1 thanks, snappy. Unfortunately I have inherited some of dad's health problems too. But I'll take the bad with the great.
@thirdjoe Usted habla la verdad. ¡Muchas gracias!