Meandering Thoughts of a Psychologist

  I took my 10-year-old daughter to six flags on Sunday. She and I love roller coasters, and her siblings aren’t as wild about them. It was a great day with minimal to no lines, and we arrived soon after the park opened. Our first ride was the Georgia Scorcher. This was an old favorite of mine, but one Maggie was afraid to try. She felt it was a little much for our first ride, but she enjoyed it. She selected each ride for the day based on the layout of the park. Georgia Scorcher, Mind Bender, Batman, Blue Hawk, Scream Machine, Superman…we couldn’t believe how short the lines were!               We stopped for an afternoon lunch break and my options were pretty limited considering my celiac disease, so I ended up with French fries and ice cream. I had to eat something, but I also knew this probably wasn’t the greatest idea because we hadn’t yet made it to the newer, more challenging rides. There were two on the list...

  As I waited on my number to be called at the Social Security office today, I contemplated my decision…my kids do have the name Pileski, and Matt and I are together, so should I reconsider this decision? I tend to go with the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy philosophy that we are either moving toward what we want or running/hiding/escaping that which we fear . Those questions I mentioned above are really more about fears like "might I later regret this decision" rather than focusing on why this name change is what I want. First off, I selected the new middle name, Helen, because it was my paternal grandmother’s name. She was a fierce, stubborn woman who was known well within the family for standing her ground. At her funeral, many people spoke of her strength, and somewhere it was written “Mama was a storm. Not the kind you run from, but the kind you chase after.” During the divorce, my depression convinced me I was a storm and perhaps not best for my children. Remember...