navigating the waters
admin September 8th, 2009
At times old trauma can reappear when you least expect it. It can be as simple as old family patterns that are “acted out” in front of you while you’re trying to disengage. Or it can show up when a current situation or person resembles a traumatic moment from your past. Either way, it’s an opportunity to navigate these tricky waters and not fall into the same old minefields that appear in front of you.
Recently, my family has converged around a crisis with one of my siblings–as a result, there is way more contact with family than usual. Because I left the East Coast over 21 years ago with the intention of establishing distance, it’s a bit of a shock to the system to once again witness the chaos and struggle in front of me. Don’t get me wrong. My family loves each other more or less, but we’ve never learned how to love one another. And the dilemma keeps showing up again and again.
In recovery we learn to establish healthier boundaries, and it’s not only ok to detach with compassion but is sometimes essential to show up at all if you choose to be of service.
