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Celebrations and letting go

sharon — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:01:10 +0000

This week I participated in two celebrations which once again made me think about the strong connections between joy and loss, between holding and letting go. The first celebration was the occasion of my twin sons’ fourteenth birthday, the second was a beautiful wedding of our friends’ daughter. On my sons’ birthday, I took the day off to be with them and a couple of friends, accepting that my changing role with them is to be available from a greater distance, as they now seek connection from a widening circle. At their birth fourteen years ago I was their world, constantly providing nourishment, safety and comfort. Quickly that expanded to include their father, sister, grandparents, and many other loving caretakers and later, teachers and coaches. We have provided, as well as we could, all of the physical, emotional, and mental support and stimulation we could imagine they needed. Now, they seek more from their friends and are relying on themselves and less from me and their father. I celebrate their growing independence, and as I let go, remember they still need me-just in a different way. Weddings, like births, are among the “highs” in life: beautiful and powerful symbols of our hope.

We celebrate the promise of love. Love doesn’t prevent sad and tragic events but makes them bearable. Love enriches our lives with the joy of sharing. Yesterday we witnessed the young couple sign their marriage contract promising to look to each other for love and support forever after. Then the two mothers of the couple broke plates, a powerful symbol of their changing roles. No longer are the mothers responsible for feeding these young people-they now have each other to depend upon. We celebrate. . . and we let go.

Consider taking this survey . . .

sharon — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:13:43 +0000

The MomSource is about helping women be proactive in planning for support and preventing post partum adjustment difficulties. Our planning benefits greatly from the current research on understanding how post partum problems develop and how we can best treat problems when they occur. The more we know about families’ needs, the better we can develop programming to meet those needs. I was thrilled to come across this study that Dr. Sapana Patel and Dr. Katherine Wisner are conducting and hope you’ll consider adding your voice to this body of knowledge.

Information about this survey
The following survey is part of a research study designed to understanding the treatment decision making process for women with depression during pregnancy and after birth. You must be of childbearing age, 18-44 years of age, and either pregnant or have recently given birth to complete the survey. Your participation is voluntary; you may stop the survey at any time. The survey is anonymous; no identifying information will be obtained from you, your responses will not be traceable back to you and no attempts will be made to re-contact you. It may take up to 15 minutes to complete all of the questions. Please click the URL to connect with this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BL5CXCZ

Hartford Hospital Talk – Post Event Update

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:27:47 +0000

Increasing Joy: Planning for Life “After Baby”

The transformation from “couple” to “family” has often been anticipated and planned for, yet new parents may be astounded by the intensity of these changes. If you are expecting to be new parents, support can help you manage the stressful challenges of a newborn so you may cherish the joyful moments. A “helpnet” of your circle of family and friends can be critical in providing this support.

On November 5th Dr. Thomason spoke at Hartford Hospital’s Blue Back Square location about planning for help after baby comes home. Twenty five parents and parents-to-be attended and learned about how to plan and ease the transformation of your family. One lucky couple won a free individual 90 minute consultation with Dr. Thomason to develop their customized plan for “after baby”. Scheduling before the baby is born can benefit your entire family.

Call (860) 331-1750 to find out how Dr. Thomason can help develop your helpnet!