The View from a Drawbridge

I have a friend who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and she has a successful counseling practice. I can’t imagine a more satisfying job. You’re helping people cope who are carrying heavy emotional burdens. You are, essentially, lightening their load. How amazing. What a gift.

It sort of reminds me of the story of Sisyphus. He is doomed to push a heavy rock up a hill, only to have it roll back down again, causing him to start back over. That, to me, is sort of what people who need counseling are like. (Granted, Sisyphus was punished in this way for his deceitfulness and deserved what he got, but hey, don’t mess with my analogy, here.)

People try so hard. They heft that weight. They shoulder that load. But until they deal with it, they’ll be rolling that rock forever. My friend may not be able to take that rock away, but she can teach you how to balance it. That is a most valuable skill indeed.

When you have a skill like that, when your work produces such positive results, but those outcomes are so intangible to the outside world, it must be easily overlooked. So I decided to make her something tangible as a thank you for the many people she has helped over the years. It’s not much. Just something I made in pottery class while thinking of Sisyphus.

For all those counselors out there: Thank you.