heartbroken...

We said goodbye to Oma today and it was so sad.

I cannot describe Jamin's heartbreak adequately...

He just cried and cried saying "Why do you have to go Oma?".

We tried to explain all the rational adult reasons like work and pets but all Jamin could think was that his Oma was leaving on a plane to go back to Australia.

He wanted to get on the plane with Oma and go back to Australia too.

He got distracted as we left the airport, as most 2 and a bit year olds do, but every couple of hours he talks about how much he misses Oma.

I am having to remember to use my counselling skills to help him.

Last night in the bath he was having a pretty serious meltdown about Oma not being here and I had to remind myself to stop giving him reasons and to just affirm what he was feeling.

So I said "Oma is your very special friend isn't she? And you must miss her so much."

I swear that I felt him visibly relax in my arms, like all of a sudden he felt like Mummy gets it, she understands what a big deal this is for me.

In one of my last uni assignments I had to reflect on my core values in my counselling practice. I think that this quote by Brown, Brown, Janetski, Meteyard & O'Hara (2003) sums it up beautifully...

“Sometimes that is all that is needed - someone who will not be afraid of the darkness - whose theology will not push them to look for victory, someone who is able to accept that sometimes we need to say ‘I cannot bear this’ and be heard”.