Despair *potential trigger: abuse*

Hi Karen,

I think Sandy's suggestion of contacting the school and asking them to email you a photo is a great one. I know it is terribly hard when you can't be there. Perhaps you can take her out for a special morning tea treat at the local bakery in the holidays, or go somewhere special just to make it up, and tell her how proud you are of her?

I also think the ACF should be understanding that you can't make the appointment if you are in hospital.

I am, strangely enough, travelling ok in spite of everything. I will be able to share the family bombshell next Friday. I have been testing the waters gradually with our friends locally, and have been gratified with how ok people have been with it. I'm still waiting for the valley stigma machine to go into overdrive I'm afraid. My older one's high school have been great; but I am really struggling with getting the prinicpal of the primary school to acknowledge it's a problem for the school, rather than my family. So I start working on her again tomorrow, and I have a plan.

BTW it's not that I don't trust you all because I know I can. It's that I know so many more people are on here reading than conversing and that is the unknown factor. If one were to be local then it might be all over. I need to wait.

So my beautiful friend, take care of you as best you can, and hopefully get back to your girls and the calming presence of the river soon.

Kindest regards,

Kristin

PS If you decide that the copy-paste would be helpful (eg if they aren't reading your notebook), with sub-headings, let me know ok? Please? It would be my pleasure to help out a friend in need. And really I am not kidding when I say it is a relatively simple thing if you know how, but not when you don't. Ask me to fix the pc and I call my son, it's a snap to him but I can't do it.

Dear Karen,

I know it is hard, sadly some people don't seem to have anything better to do with their time than gossip and bitch about others. These days I worry about it far less for my own sake, but I do worry about the impact on my kids. Especially my little one who has had enough trauma this year already, and she is very sensistive too.

I wish you were too, hopefully soon. I'll keep walking the river trail.

Kindest regards,

Kristin

Dear Karen,

How are you tonight? I hope you are doing ok in there and they let you be soon. I truly wish the MHU could be an experience of help rather than another one of them not "getting it" and doing things which are so horrendously unhelpful.

Were you able to get in touch with the school so they could take a photo of your daughter?

BTW did you see my mountain climbing doodle chronicles? What do you think?

Hope for helpful help endures...

Kindest regards,

Kristin

@hiddenite

Dear Karen,

I am so relieved to hear from you! Thanks for checking in.

The other day I ran out of candles to light at night so I bought a box of 100 tealight ones and have been lighting one each night for you. I wish you were back too (sending you some cyber hugs - no comarison to your girls, I know). It's raining and a lot cooler tonight, so I've got the fire going for real, and the nightlight candle will have to sit elsewhere (it's usually on top of the woodfired heater.)

Listen I hope you don't mind, but I was speaking to my suport person from Safe Futures (Ros) and I asked how long term they provide support to survivors of DV. I mentioned that a friend was being treated like a football by the MH system, and could they help. She said yes, she will try to help. So if you ring 9877 0311, ask for Ros from Safe in the Community and tell her Kristin suggested you ring. I know they've helped you before, but they are still willing to help. You need and deserve someone on your side.

It has been a really full on week for me, but much of it has been good. I spent about 6 hours (during school) in meetings and phone calls on Tuesday, trying to get help - for my kids mainly, which was absolutely exhausting; but I think it will bear much good fruit.

Hope for help on our journey endures...

Kindest regards,

Kristin