P is for Plenty … Feeling Grateful and Thankful

 

Have you ever experienced times of PLENTY?   I have so much to be thankful for this year.

 

What’s on my List of “P is for PLENTY” for 2021?

 

First, there’s no doubt that the P4² DID Conference was filled with PLENTY of awesome new experiences.  For example.  Have you ever been under The Bean in Millennium Park?   Our Friday Adventure Walk Participants got to experience some pretty freaky photography moments standing near The Bean.  How cool is that picture?

Secondly, I was fortunate to meet plenty of new DDCF people in person at the P4² DID Conference — that’s what made our weekend so fun!  Here’s an example.  At P4², I finally got to meet — live and in person — someone who I’ve known online via forums and spoken with on the phone since at least 2008.  To finally finally finally meet that person in person was truly awesome and deeply meaningful. 

Oh hey!  The person I’m talking about is in this Bean picture.  Can you see her?  I wish I could introduce her to you as well!  

 

For three: Pinky, Pixie, and Joe.  My 3 precious kelpies have made it safely to the USA from Australia.  I have PLENTY of dogs now!  I won’t even start on the dogs stories today… y’all have heard plenty of those already, I’m sure! 

ps:  They are pulling a wagon now, and all three of them can run along beside me, at the same time,  during my bike rides.  Yep, they have learned how to do that!   Three cheers for Team Kathy’s KELPIES! 

 

Fourthly, I’ve been fortunate to spend plenty of time travelling and exploring the beautiful cities of Dallas, Chicago, and Phoenix.  All different, all beautiful in their own ways. 

Which do you like better:  amazing city architecture or incredible cacti and underground caves? 

This crested saguaro cactus is in the Phoenix Botanical Garden.  It’s so huge, but many people walk right on by, never looking up to see it’s incredible crown. Who would want to miss this?  It’s a definite sight to see!

 

What’s on YOUR List of “P is for PLENTY” for 2021?

 

I’m sure you’ve had many worthwhile, memorable experiences this year as well — both inside and out.

One dissociative survivor has already been thinking about PLENTY, and has written a snippet for what that means for them.  Have you ever felt POSITIVE about living life as a plural person?   Have a read of this!  Yep, The Writing Team has found PLENTY of good parts to living with plurality.

DO YOU EXPERIENCE YOUR PLURALITY with SIMILAR FEELINGS of PLENTY?

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Plenty 

Can we please just talk about the good parts of living as a system for a minute?

There’s plenty.

There’s never having to be alone, ever again. There’s having the perfect hang-out buddy for any mood or occasion. There’s always having someone to play with, if you’re a little person. There’s always having a safe grown-up to take care of you. 

There’s the joy of living with a group of little people — their hearts, their vitality, their innocence and unique wisdom. There’s the healing that comes from being parent people to them in ways that respond to what we received in childhood with integrity and compassion. 

There’s the depth of relationship that’s possible between adult parts who have shared a journey of profound pain and transformation. 

There’s the endless moments of plural hilarity — funnies that can only happen when you’ve got that many people trying to drive one brain and one body. 

There’s having access to a diverse range of interests, talents, strengths and skills. There’s the convenience and potency of almost-always being able to pick just the right person for any life challenge or task. 

There’s the increased capacity to look at any situation from multiple perspectives. We guess it helps when you actually embody those many viewpoints. This breeds compassion, wisdom, flexibility, creativity, pragmatism and productivity. 

There’s the strength of spirit that is forged when a group of people have gone through hell together, for each other, and survived. There’s the strength of the bond among them that emerges when they decide to set out and make a better life for themselves, no matter how complicated that road is to travel down. 

And this is just off the top of our head.

What do you all reckon? 

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What DO you reckon?  How plentiful are the positives of your plurality?

 

Can you relate to any of these stories?  Do you share these moments with your inside people?

Are you appreciating your people?

This week, during Thanksgiving, will you remember to thank your inside parts for helping you?

Will you express any joy, or positivity, or gratitude, or thoughtfulness for your internal people?

Will you treat them with kindness and allow plenty of your people to partake in holiday foods and happy parties?

Seriously, please don’t make your inside people go hungry this week.  This is the week when it is particularly important to let all your insiders have a few tastes of food.  Of all weeks of the year, Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to share bites of dinner.  To allow lots of your insiders to enjoy a few snacks.  To loosen up on any restrictive food rules, especially those rules that are too tight for comfort.  Let your littles, and a few of your bigs have a graciously good time this year.   Expand your horizons a bit, and let each of your people eat at least 5 extra bites of goodies this week.  Will you try that?

 

Building a positive systemhood with solid connection means treating each other well.   

Have another read of The Writing Team’s Plenty article.   Stop and really think about it for awhile.

• Which of these moments are you most connected to?   
• Which of these moments do you relate to? 
• Which of these moments are you going to replicate with your internal people? 

Feel free to comment below.   We’ll be glad to hear your stories of PLENTY and how you appreciate your people too.

 

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Are you feeling externally lonely during the holidays?  Isolated?  Away from your loved ones?

Do you want to get connected with plenty of other dissociative systems in an ongoing, meaningful way?

Remember, if you aren’t a member of our incredible DID Forum Community, you can join our DDCF group at any time.  You will be welcomed! 

Click HERE for more information.

 

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You know, the people who read this Discussing Dissociation blog have been so very very good to me this year.  THANK YOU.  Your support, your kindness, your comments, your participation, and your positive attitudes have not gone unnoticed.  THANK YOU for being part of my life, for being part of this community, and for being positive and open about your systemhood.  We’ve got lots to do yet.  I hope we all continue to explore, heal, and discuss all layers of dissociation over the many years to come.  Stay close and keep reading — we’ve got lots planned for 2022!  Does Niagara Falls sound interesting to anyone?

 

I sincerely hope you and your will joy your holidays this week.

Thinking of you, and sending many blessings your way.

Warmly, 

Kathy

 

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