An Aussie taking on the Netherlands , one klompje at at time…
Let me be the first to say – this is by no means dissing any of my existing friends, especially those who are close to me and have been by my side throughout everything. You are all wonderful, and I value you all.
3 years ago, I was struggling with the TTTS/TAPS diagnosis, endless doctors appointments, not knowing if my children would live or die. I was in a country where I barely spoke the language, with only my husband knowing the full extent of what was going on, and our parents to a lesser extent. A lot of my pain and hurt I hid from public view (this is part of who I am) and internalised. On top of that, being part of this mysterious 10% that got a condition that not many people understand, and not being able to find good, reliable and easy to understand information about – things were stressful. And it felt like I was alone. Very alone. 16,000 kilometres away from my family and friends, and very little emotional support. Continue reading “The one about finding people who get where you’ve been …”
I dedicate this post to the wonderful Chaya who faced her bully with decorum and grace, and to my friend Tanya who has shown me what raw power is in her own fight with a bully. There’s a couple of others who’ll know who they are as well (I hope).
I was recently talking to someone from high school – ironically our social groups were different, but we moved in similar interests and circles. We were not friends. But we faced similar demons and had similar experiences with bullying. It was really interesting to compare notes and stories, and also eye opening that someone else experienced what I did. Continue reading “The one about bullies…”