Mary JoyfulNess

"Don't forget to breathe."
My mAssage-therapist pretty much summed it up for me today.

MJ:
Oh my goodness. Do I ever know when I need to talk to my sister. Seriously, nobody gets it like you do. Gets IT. All of it. Everything that's true and everything I need to hear and everything I don't want to hear but still need to. (I basically credit you for getting me away from Bryan because you told me what I didn't want to hear).
That's true friendship, eh? (A nice Canadian touch for you in case you're homesick). And boy am I homesick! (8)It feels like home to me...(8)
I can't believe how every sentence you say has me sitting at your knees looking up with my mouth gaping open, taking in everything and not wanting to forget one word.

Checklist of what I needed to hear when I phoned you tonight:
1. God made you a singer, and he's not going to take that away. (check)
2. You're going to come out of this stronger because you'll understand what it's like and you'll be able to help more people. (check- and I hadn't thought of this.)
3. Besides "there's nothing wrong with you", this is the best news you could have received. Acid reflex, allergies, sinus problems, or asthma would have been much worse, as these aren't fixable. (check- also hadn't thought of this, but it made me feel soooo much better.)
4. You know this is from speaking. Not from singing. (sniffle, sigh, check)
5. You're going to be okay. (triple check)
6. Solutions, advice, and planning for the future such as:
a) Do your exam in August instead. (I had considered this, but it was almost like I needed someone else to tell me that it's okay, even wise, to do this.)
b) Go to a speech pathologist and learn how to speak properly (again, I needed this validation!)
c) Don't worry about tomorrow. If you're supposed to go into North Battleford, you will.
Um... yeah, check.

My stress-level just went down drastically from one 10-minute conversation. And you're not a shrink because...? Oh, right, because you're off learning how to shatter glasses with your voice. Besides, you don't share a brain with everyone, so it would be pretty hard to listen to a weepy voice for a matter of seconds, and give a complete diagnosis.
Thank you for doing everything that you do so well, from singing and studying, to mothering, fathering, sistering, brothering, dogging (?) and friending.
I love you so much, I can't even say.

You are the paprika in my goulash.
GratefulNess