Disconnect after separating to restore yourself
The Threshold can be difficult. The rapport we establish can give permission to Friends to begin feeling and expressing deep emotions. Anger can become rage, sadness can become grief, and fear can become panic. Because we care, as we pace Friends, we can feel an approximation of what they feel. This brew of strong emotions touches us, reaches down within us to stir similar emotions and memories within us.
                     
When Friends leave our presence, though, we rebound quickly to our own state of peacefulness where we regenerate our strength. We partition the history of our experience. We don’t forget, but move on. We don’t absorb and continue to carry the burden of a Friend’s experiences beyond the time we had together. The experience with Friends can make us grow stronger. If you are a Red Cross case manager, another family may be waiting to visit with you. As a parent, you might have another child who needs your attention. If you are a friend, you may have a loved one at home who needs your emotional investment. Let the turbulence go and renew your strength.

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My Trouble Tree