Hello!

Sometimes I don’t understand how quickly time passes.  I realize that’s probably a funny thing to say to folks who have Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), with time distortion, amnesia, inside people of all ages, insiders from all different times of your life, who experience life in many layers of time all at the same time …. !  But you know, for ME, it’s back around to the beginning of yet another year.  How boring/exciting is that?! 

So yes, for me — and also for you —  it’s a NEW year.

And Happy New Year to you!   😀 

Did you make any New Years wishes?  Or New Year’s resolutions?  What about New Year’s plans?

Did you have a fun night?  Did you do anything to celebrate?

Did you tuck away and hide quietly inside?  

I did my usual adventure to see New Year’s Eve fireworks.  However, this year, I had my two dogs with me, and we weren’t able to get up close and personal to all the festivities.  Instead, we watched all the pretty bright explosions of light and color from a few miles away, on the top of a hill, while standing inside a dog park, of course!  Even from a distance, it was still a beautiful sight, even though I couldn’t see all the details of the fireworks, or the ones that were blocked by the trees.

It was a peaceful experience as the weather was pleasant, and the skies were clear.  I wasn’t crowded (thank goodness!), and the air was calm.  Most importantly, I was a long ways away from the noisy sounds of the firecrackers and the crowds of people .  The lights of the city skyline were in the background, providing another layer of color behind the fireworks.  It was just pretty. 

The night was full of sparkles and twinkles!

Imagine seeing all those pretty colors… only from a grassy hill, much further away!

Pretty, yes?!!

Pretty Lights Below, Sparkly Stars Above

As well as seeing the shimmering fireworks from a distance, I could see the stars above me.  From a top of that hill, the stars looked almost as bright as the fireworks!

Looking up at the stars, in the peaceful calm of the dog park, I had a little time to think about my year.  And to think about plans.  And hopes.  And dreams.

Of course, I thought about what might happen here at Discussing Dissociation this year.  We’ve been having such big changes and growth and expansion and all kinds of wonderful new stuff the past couple years.  I certainly don’t expect THIS year to be any different.  

I had already started doing something with a little story called “Five Wishing Stars” so while I was standing on a hill, in the middle of a dog park, watching fireworks and stars up in the sky, I was also thinking of you. 

Because…..

I know that many dissociative trauma survivors struggle during the night.

For DID survivors, the night doesn’t typically feel as peaceful, or magical, or pretty as the night I was having on New Year’s Eve.  There are often too many trauma memories, painful worries, nightmares, flashbacks, and life-long fears associated with the night.

Nighttime, and sleepy-time, is often scary — especially for the child parts of DID systems.

So….

To help your little ones hear a story, to see a story being read to them, and to experience someone give a little extra caring to their troubled times, I’ve recorded a video reading a sleepy-time story for them.

Five Wishing Stars, read by Kathy from Discussing Dissociation

I hope your littles like hearing this story!

And… 

If you were a member of the Discussing Dissociation Community Forum….

You would have already had the opportunity to be listening to this story!

Yes, it’s true — the members of the Discussing Dissociation Community Forum (DDCF) have already been watching this new video and listening to this story.  They got a little early-bird sneaky peek while I was waiting to have time to write this blog article. 

For that matter, I posted this little video in the Forum on Christmas Day.  I thought that a little gentle Christmas surprise of the nicest kind might be meaningful for the little ones who were needing a little boost of encouragement on what can be a difficult day.  And yes, of course, those littles did need and appreciate that little bit of kindness.  

So yep…… this is one of the unexpected benefits of being in the Forum.   

The Forum Community will get the heads up on information and be able to be involved with additional resources more quickly.   I may very well ask their opinion about issues, and get their input about pertinent topics.  And of course, as Laura and I have time to add more and more features into the Forum itself, the Forum Members will be able to participate in a variety of additional activities and helpful exercises.

By the way, are YOU interested in joining the Community Friendship Forum?

The Forum is open and active RIGHT NOW.   It’s been a busy, friendly, wonderful.  In fact, in the first two weeks of open posting, the group has already made about a thousand posts per week.  That is a lot of communication, a lot of friendly exchanges, and a lot of conversation and information about dissociative life!  Wow!

So you know… I just have to stop and enjoy that little bit of really good news for this New Year.   DDCF is going to have an amazing impact on the Discussing Dissociation Community.  

I can see WONDERFUL things happening in the Forum.  Great conversation.  People understanding each other.  Folks relating to what others have said…  A little bit of fun.  The occasional technical wrinkle to work out.  But hey — we are having a good time in the Forum and YOU are invited to join us.

Click HERE for more information about the Discussing Dissociation Community Forum.

And today, or tonight — please let your system littles listen to the Five Wishing Stars story video!   It’s nothing fancy, but hopefully, it will bring joy, and comfort, and peace, and a warm smile to your little ones.

Thanks so much for reading, and let’s make this New Year our best ever!!

Wishing you the very very best of healing this year….

Warmly, 

Kathy

Copyright © 2008-2019 Kathy Broady MSW and Discussing Dissociation