Gratitude

No words.  

No words will ever express my gratitude for the gift of having been blessed with such a wise, honest and loving woman in my life.  

I remember when I first met you.  

I thought, "That is one feisty ol' broad...I want to "grow up" and be just like her."

I saw myself in you--I wanted what you had.  

You loved me when I wouldn't love myself. 

You challenged me.

You stood steadfastly by me as I learned about myself, often the hard way.  

You taught me to laugh at myself, to value my resilience and challenged me to take risks.

It am grateful for the wonderful memories of you.

I am grateful for the many experiences I had with you that I carry in my heart. 

My favorite is sitting together listening to Yalom speak in Anaheim, it was an amazing experience...you admired him and I admired you both.

I often think of you when I am sitting with clients. 

I carry you with me into my work and knowing you has made me a better therapist.

I will miss you AND I know you are not far away, you are in my heart.

With both joy and sorrow in my heart,

Heather Johnson

Olympia, WA