just feeling sad OT

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to say thankyou to all who answered my e-mail - just feeling

sad it did help me so much before my trip to Yorkshire and I am sure stress

was playing a major part as you suggested.

We had a lovely time eventually but did not get off to a good start. When

we arrived the central heating had packed up on one of the coldest days they

have. Unfortunately my son works in London all the week so he gave us the

name of his plumber, but we couldn't do anything until the morning and we

were wondering what we could do for warmth when there was a knock on the

door and it was my son's girlfriend with an electric fire, a big tin of soup

- for the inner warmth !!, two hot water bottles and a treacle pudding and

custard - I am not sure what that was for but it was so kind of her to

bother, I thought I might have Stills to put up with but what she did really

made me happy. Also what we didn't know was that her brother is in the

building trade and he asked one of his plumbers to come and have a look to

see what the problem was. He then rang round to get the part and we had

heating the day after we arrived. I couldn't believe that a family we don't

know very well would go to so much trouble. It restored my faith in human

nature.

I would like to ask how you deal with stress. I have tried everything I

know, but today I went to a painting class and I really had to force myself

I was so nervous and although I did enjoy it, not as much as I could have

done. I tried saying to myself now what is the worse thing that can happen

- say if it was tip paint over, so what you could clean it up I know all

this but still my stomach is in knots and I am all tense. I am sorry to

waffle on, but my friends do not seem to suffer like this and they say " oh

don't be daft you do most things as well as anybody else, some even better "

Anyway I'll stop now, but thanks again for your support.

Love Joan U.K.

[Guest guest]

Joan, I was the type that was always worried about what people thought of

me. For years I was raised to feel I had to be perfect, polite, graceful all

the time. I'm SO much happier now that I'm older and starting to really get

the 'everyone puts their pants on the same way in the morning' saying. But I

was always like that starting something new... half-sick, I was so nervous

and 'pressured' feeling.

I'm not going to spend my whole life worrying about making mistakes, or

making other people happy with me. This is not a dress rehearsal... we only

have one shot, and I'm going to enjoy it!

Like you said... if you spill the paint, who cares? It cleans up. If you

paint something, and someone criticizes it... well, did you enjoy painting

it? In the long run, does it really matter what they think? Nah.

You're such a sweetie... everyone in the class is going to adore you as they

get to know you, and it will be fun! Post us some photos of what you're

doing!

Good luck