How Much Does It Mean to me

I have five sketchbooks of circles. I have developed this interest in drawing everything not with a straight line but in circles half way through my contract while working with a person with mental disability. I new from day one of that contract that I would need a good way to relax and stabilise my nerves. It was the most challenging and the most "think on your feet" jobs I have ever had. It could be quiet and just looking out the window one minute and dealing with a major crisis the next. I have done it only for a year and three months but there are people who chose that as their career. My hat goes off to them! Very noble and giving. So satisfying. I guess I could do that till I retire as well but there is a dear price you pay if you don't take care of yourself mentally!

It started as just drawing anything that comes to my mind. Geometric shapes, trees, flowers, bubbles, etc. But then I realised that circles really relaxed me and calmed my thoughts and anxieties. I said to myself, "if that's what you want, do it, no matter how simple!" So that is all I did. Circles for therapy. It have worked for me ever since!

At the end of each day I would never know whether my client would walk out of the program happily or he would require a lot of persuasion and tactic. So whenever he would agree at my first request to go out and wait for his ride I would in haste pack up my things and leave right away before he was able to change his mind. But one day by accident I packed up an open coffee thermos. And in the bag went all my belongings and my sketchbook! Only 15-20 minutes later I felt something hot coming down my lap while sitting on the car. I could feel blood rushing in my veins, tears flaring in my eyes. A person next to me giggled. Giggled!!! Months of my work destroyed and all he could do is giggle! I was ready to kill or at least seriously break bones! But thanks to the very sketchbook, I contained my anger and annoyance. Weeks later I decided to restore the damage. And here is the result of the cover up of that terrible day. This is just a single example of how I tried to fix the coffee stains with more coffee. I fixed all 20 of my babies in that sketchbook. That is love.

Happy Wednesday friends!