The Pink Dress

I want to thank our wonderful friend Pastor Brown for sending this to us. A lot of things get passed all over via the internet, this is one we were really glad to receive, hope you enjoy it also.

The Pink Dress

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park.

Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad.

Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by.

She never tried to speak.

She never said a word.

Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.

The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there.

Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes.

Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl.

For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone.

As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress.

It was grotesquely shaped.

I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her.

Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different.

As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare.

As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly.

She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form.

I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk.

I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, "Hello."

The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "Hi " after a long stare into my eyes.

I smiled and she shyly smiled back.

We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty.

I asked the girl why she was so sad.

The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, "Because, I'm different."

I immediately said, "That you are," and smiled.

The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know."

"Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent."

She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said,
"Really?"
"Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all the people walking by."

She nodded her head yes, and smiled.

With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her Wings to spread, then she said "I am."

"I'm your Guardian Angel," with a twinkle in her eye.

I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things.

She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done".

I got to my feet and said, " Wait, why did no one stop to help an Angel?"

She looked at me, smiled, and said, "You're the only one that could see me," and then she was gone.

And with that, my life was changed dramatically.

So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you.

Happy and peaceful trails

JM

Huh?

Adolescents need support during family breakups

By Joene Hendry Fri Oct 19, 4:14 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Family breakups take a toll on adolescents, who have high rates of psychological and social problems, including substance abuse, behavioral disorders, anxiety and depression, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics

In addition, the psychological and social distress shown by separated and divorcing parents can play a significant role in their adolescent children's respond to the family breakup, study findings suggest.

"What is the most deleterious for the children is the atmosphere in which the separation occurs and the deterioration of the family relational processes and not the separation in itself," Dr. Christelle Roustit, of the Research Group on the Social Determinants of Health and Healthcare, and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, told Reuters Health.

Roustit and colleagues administered questionnaires to 2,346 adolescents, divided into age groups of 13 and 16 years old, who participated in the Social and Health Survey of Children and Adolescents in Quebec, Montreal. In addition, surveys were also completed by 1,983 parents.

Overall, substance abuse, including alcohol, was approximately two-times higher in these adolescents compared with adolescents who were not going through a family breakup. Although seen in both groups, the rate of substance abuse was considerably higher among the 16-year olds.

Oppositional attitudes and behaviors, such as fighting, damaging property and theft were increased in both age groups. While Roustit noted that paternal support helped mediate the association between family breakup and psychological distress, it did not affect oppositional behavior.

Levels of depression and anxiety also were higher than normal in both age groups. In particular, the risk of suicide attempts was three- to four-times higher among 13 year olds, compared with 16 year olds, Roustit said. These behaviors, however, were modified by parental support.

Higher rates of psychological distress reported by parents were linked with adolescent psychological distress as well as the adolescents' acts of defiance, fighting, vandalism, animal cruelty, theft or other violations of the law, but not with adolescent alcohol use or substance abuse.

Adolescent psychological distress in both age groups was also strongly associated with witnessing violence between parents.

Preventing maladjustment disorders among adolescents during times of family break ups, the investigators conclude, may require legal interventions that encourage divorce mediation or joint custody, as well as social interventions that support children and families with their readjustments.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, October 2007.

Huh? I thought all of this was a given. You mean to tell me no one ever realized the effects this stuff had on kids before this report? If so no wonder there are so many people with problems and no wonder so many therapists are no help, they didn't know!!!!!!!

My gosh, and thank the heavens that now they know!! Good Lord I hope they can figure out what to do to help. I can almost imagine that we will see in the news in a week or so that using alternate fuels would cut down our dependence on foreign oil or that Elvis had died or that children under six should not be given cough suppressants, imagine!!

Thank God we have people working on these stories because without their breaking this news to us, where would we be???

I shudder to imagine

Happy trails,

JM

This is Ridiculous!!

They say the wheels of justice move slowly but this is ridiculous. It isn't even the legal system, it is a State Board of Review but it must have been created by the same people who created our legal system. It takes forever and a day to get anything done from initial complaint to final discipline.

As many of you know, Keepers filed a complaint against a former therapist approximately 7 years ago. Hearing after hearing was postponed as he had this to do or that to do and each time he was granted a rescheduled hearing. Unbeknownst to him Keepers actually got stronger as time went on, and even though there were times they considered dropping it, either a) the Assistant Attorney General reiterated the importance of keepers standing up to this man or b) Keepers themselves regrouped and forged onward.

This past January the hearing finally occurred, and yes he had filed for another continuance, and this time Keepers told the Attorney General's office, it's now or never, we are not going to b eput off again. The continuance was denied, the hearing was held, and he did not show, so the hearing proceeded with all of the testimonies including Keepers.

At that point the Judge stated, he is guilty on these charges.

After the hearing the Assistant Attorney General told us how the process worked from here. We are sure we were not told all because they did not want to exasperate us further or truly did not realize the wheel needed a really good lube job! They now had 30 days to inform him of the findings, he had 30 days to rebut the findings then they got another 15 days to rebut his rebut and then it would go to a panel.... a panel who would review what has transpired up to this point!!

My God in heaven, if Judgement Day is anything like this it will take eternity to find out if we are upward bound or downward bound and that doesn't include continuances!

Anyway, we were told the final findings would be on line so we kept checking day by day, week after week, until I got a wee bit po'd and wrote a letter to the Attorney General asking how they could or would expect others to come forward and file complaints against abusive therapists when this was how it was handled? I never received an answer but within 2 weeks the decision was up on line, a matter of public record! Hoorah, finally, justice is served, yahoo...no...wait a sec...what about the discipline, the punishment for his God awful, not to mention abusive and incompetent (state's word, not mine) therapy? Will we get a letter, will it be public record also, what? Couldn't find anything so yesterday I sent another letter to the State Board asking how we will find out his discipline.

Get this....the board will have another hearing!!!! On December 7th!!!!! The hearing will be to determine his discipline, evidently he can debate his punishment against the board and then...and then...they will deliberate again! There will be no decision on his discipline on that day either. The email response said we would receive a letter from the Board outlining the disicpline levied against him, they did not say how long that will take.

So I ask you, is this ridiculous or not?

We are confident that by the time the discipline is official, available, after debate and such, it will have been at least a year since he was initially found guilty as charged. A year!!! Doesn't that seem to be a wee bit long? Supposedly this man is no longer sewing any patients, but what if he was? What if he is? That means that for 7 years he would have been able to see more patients, do more irreparable harm to others, and that to me seems ridiculous. Forget the 7 years from filing to hearing, once that hearing said he was guilty some sort of restriction should have been placed on his license immediately, it could have been temporarily suspended or some such method put in place to make his contact with any other patients cease until after a final decision was determined and in such cases why shouldn't it be moved up to the front of the line?

When I look at the States website I see eight, 8, cases or complaints against psychologists, psychiatrists since the year 2000, which is the earliest decision we can see. Thus I assume that complaint started in around 1993! Surely the board can speed up the process once the guilty or not guilty decisions come in. I understand they are supposed to be protecting their profession's reputation by reviewing complaints and investigating them, which they did a thorough job of, but for crying out loud let's have some consideration for the victims in these situations and I am not talking about the therapist, I am talking about the patients and their families who are seeking to stop therapists from abusing their power, and make therapy safe for others who need it, not make it a breeding ground for incompetence and egos that are in need of some really good therapy themselves.

If you really want to monitor and insure that your profession is clean and competent, no not competent, excellent, don't prolong what the patients have gone through to ridiculous lengths with your excessively long and endless red tape. That is not fair to the patients, they have already endured the worst your profession can offer, isn't it about time they received the best your profession can offer?

JM

A General Catching Up and Look Forward

Well it has been several weeks now since the States decision was posted to their website about Keepers former therapist. As I think most of you know he was found guilty of all of the charges and we now await the Boards discipline to be enacted. He may get a slap on the wrist he may get his license removed forever which would only be fair and protective of anyone else he may come across if allowed to continue practicing. On a more personal note his wife has filed for divorce from him and we can only guess how much this had to do with it. What a shame! Yeah right! Sorry but he deserves some crap for all he did.

This entire thing has had its affect on Keepers, sometimes they feel bad in a way, other times they feel he is getting what he deserves, so it is a roller coaster ride that I believe they now see as he was bad, he harmed them, he screwed things up for not just keepers but for the entire family and as such he deserves any punishment he gets, from the state or his wife or his colleagues.

What else is cooking? Little Keeperskorner, one of Katie's goats named after Keeperskorner is now preggers and will have her first babies soon! Keepers were so happy for the good news!! Keepers also get to name them. There are about 6 goats named after different keepers, so thanks again Katie. We will send you some old stuffed animals for the baby goats soon!!

We are trying to get Keepers blog moved back to the website so it is all in one location, Andrzej our webmaster has found 3 software programs he is encouraged by and will delve into them and see which one might be easiest to use to accomplish our goal.

We are getting ready for Christmas at Keeperskorner by beginning to purchase stuffed animals and such to send to little alters at Christmas time. We are also sending out letters asking for donations from companies of discontinued stock or any other items they may be willing to donate that we could use as gifts.

We are concerned for many of our cyber friends who are in so many ways our family now. Several are having health issues of a physical nature along with the multiplicity and or abuse they have survived. Some have had to find new therapists some have had therapists on extended vacations and all of this is very, very troubling and disruptive for them. Some have felt suicidal, some have simply tried to shut down and become a zombie of sorts, none of which works. Keepers have tried to be supportive in every way possible short of giving advice. Ooops, this one piece of advice is given, "contact your T".

We are still getting new visitors to Keeperskorner which is great, being able to talk with and help support new people who are reaching out is super. Some of them just need anyone to listen, some have lost insurance or whatever to pay for therapy and need someone to talk to. Some have a T on vacation or whatever and reach out to us in their alone time. Pastor Brown says this is our calling for now, to help those in need with what keepers and I can give them. He feels there is more coming but he does not know what, but tells us to be ready for it when it gets here!

Weather wise we are in much the same boat as a lot of other people, not enough rain, way below normal and here we are in October, our normal high is about 75 or so, so we are looking temps in the low 90s with high humidity! One of the more respected weathermen here in town is saying we are running a month behind in the weather cycle. We won't get October weather until November and so on. Looks like he is right so far. We have our air on to keep the humidity tolerable and to be able to sleep comfortably, we usually have it off by August or September unless we run into a short term heat up, but this in October is way unusual for us.

Later this afternoon we will blog with one of our dear friends in the UK, it always interesting to talk with her and we know she can use someone to talk to as she has several family members with bad health matters right now and she is trying to be supportive and helpful to one and all, but always puts herself last, so we have to remind her to take care of herself also!! She is one of our oldest friends here on the internet and she is like a sister to Keepers and myself.

Well, nothing else really going on I can think of right now, nothing earth shattering, didn't win the lottery, again, didn't have PCH come our door with a giant check, again, didn't find a parcel full of cash alongside the road, again, so tomorrow it is back to work. Someday I will do all my work here with Keepers in Keeperskorner, I just wish it would be sooner than later, so if anyone out there is really rich and is looking for someone to help benefit with a kindly annual donation, we here at Keeperskorner are your kind of people!!!

To each and every one of you, happy trails!

JM