Fun Stories! Wanna Know More about What We Did?

 

 

I want to share a story with you.

A story and more.

 

While I have many, many stories to share, this a fun kid-friendly story is about our April 2024 SGI (Small Group Intensive).  I didn’t write this story, however, I’ve made a few edits to make it okay for public reading.  I’ve removed the names of all the wonderful folks who were referenced, and I’ve called everyone Friendly.  Personal privacy is a good thing, and so are friendships, and sharing a good story!

This story was written by one of the SGI attendees.  More specifically, this story was written by a young DID kid herself.  As you read, you will hear her innocent child-like way of speaking, no doubt.  (Oh wait — she’s an older kid, not a little kid, so old-of-a-kid she might not even be a kid! Just saying, I’ve been adamantly corrected, lol!)  This story doesn’t cover all the things we did at our SGI, of course, but it gives a fun and unique perspective from an Older Younger Insider’s point of view. 🙂 

In this story, our wise young author also includes a few of the “take away learning points”.  These are awesome little nuggets!  I figure, by hearing those thoughts directly from an attendee, you can get a better idea of the kinds of things we talked about, learned about, and experienced at this particular in-person event. 

Every event is different, of course, but you know, no matter what, lots of learning and unique situations happen whenever we come together as an in-person community.   More than what is planned! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story, the pictures, and the learnings.  🙂

~ ~ ~ ~

FOOTBALL KITTY (and more)

Written on April 15, 2024

 

Once upon a time not so very long an ago a group of people had an adventure at a Texas Lake house. There was a nice lady named Miss Kathy and she invited a whole group of people to come there for a week. She called it a “Small Group Intensive”. That meant that the biggest goal was for the people to work on inside stuff. She said there would be some fun stuff too; but it wasn’t just for having fun.

She invited everyone from her group of forum friends to come and lots and lots of people wanted to come;  6 people signed up for this first week. This was something new so it was kinda scary to say yes to coming; but we knew that Miss Kathy was a nice lady and made things as safe as possible for us. Some people wanted to come but their Bigs said no. Some had to do jobs or had family stuff that made them not get to go there. Some people didn’t have money or lived far away. Some people had to say no to coming because they were having to have operations or were recovering from operations. But six brave people said yes.

One of these very brave people was Friendly5. But oh no! At the very last minute her body got sick and had to go to the hospital and have an emergency operation! How scary! And disappointing! Everyone was very sad that she didn’t get to come. We sure hope that her body gets strong again fast and she gets to come next time!

 

 

So the people that got to come were Miss Kathy.   

And House Mom who made lots and lots of yummy food for us plus did lots of other stuff to help us all have a very good and productive time. Thank you House Mom! We like you and admire you tons and tons! I don’t know how you were ever able to get everything done and still keep a smile on your face! But we want to be like you some day. You are a mommy and Miss Kathy says you were a very good mommy when she was a little girl. You weren’t perfect because nobody is perfect. But YOU loved her in safe ways and taught her how to be a strong grown up lady and now Miss Kathy is teaching us that stuff.

The other people who got to come were Friendly1, Friendly2, Friendly3, Friendly4 and FriendlyME (that’s me).

Plus of course Kathy brought her dogs named Pinky and JoeJoe. 

Most of us arrived on a Saturday afternoon. It took lots of time to carry in the food and supplies and decide who was going to stay in what rooms. Just stuff like that. We looked over the lake and saw some birds there. There were cows nearby too. Those critters were kinda expected. Being out in the country and by a lake.

But we got one very big surprise.

 

 

There was a cat there who looked like a football!

Really she did! Football Kitty is all patchwork colored and the man who owned the place said “No no no” to her getting to go into the house. She was an outside cat. That told us that she must be very smart and very brave to be able to take care of herself like that. But her tummy was SO huge! She must must must be hungry. We didn’t know how she felt about people since she lives outside; but we all tried to get close to her and pet her.

Friendly4 sat down next to her and made friends with football kitty. Kitty let her pet her some and seemed to trust her new friend a lot. That was brave of both football kitty and Friendly4. Friendly4 was sitting on a bench outside in the carport area and football kitty was sitting next to her.

All of a sudden Pinky and JoeJoe saw her and ran up towards the cat.

Football kitty didn’t know that the dogs just wanted to be friends with her and wouldn’t hurt her at all.  Those dogs had spent the last year raising another cat.

JoeJoe had found an abandoned teeny tiny kitten just one year ago. That three week old kitten was rescued by Miss Kathy and Pinky became her mommy and JoeJoe became her friend and protector. That kitty’s name is Jazzy and she lives with them at Miss Kathy’s house. Jazzy thinks she is part dog and so plays with the dogs in ways that most cats don’t.

So JoeJoe didn’t know that football kitty wouldn’t be the same way. But boy oh boy she was NOT the same. She saw the dogs coming and despite how huge her tummy was she sprang onto Friendly4’s arm and shoulder and then scrambled away from the dogs. She jumped with her big football tummy all the way to the top of the house! She was being a good cat to do that; but we were all sad that she ran away. We worried that she was probably hungry and we didn’t know what to do for her.

 

But Miss Friendly4 was very smart. Miss Friendly4 asked Miss Kathy if she would please please please get some special kitty food to feed to this football kitty when she goes to the store.  Friendly4 put food out for football kitty and made sure she had water to drink too.

One time a black cat came while football kitty was trying to eat and scared her away. But Friendly4 didn’t give up. Not at all. She used her head and was very creative. She put out more food for football kitty and moved it around to different areas so that football kitty could eat and not get scared away by any black cat, dogs, or strange people.

Cause let’s face it; all these people who came to the Texas house were strangers to her; and it is always good to be careful around strangers and make sure they are safe people before getting too close to them.

 

 

Then all the people at the SGI started doing the tough therapeutic work.

We talked about stuff that happened when we were little and stuff that is happening while we are big. We talked lots about feelings and sometimes we got sad and cried, sometimes we got mad and yelled. There was stuff there to draw or color with and Miss Kathy gave everyone writing assignments.

The body didn’t get very tired but the brain sure did! Everybody there tried real hard to use their ears and listen to everyone else and be kind. Some of the stuff we said to each other was hard to hear. Sometimes we wanted to hide our face so nobody could see us. We felt embarrassed or ashamed. But the good thing was that nobody was mean to each other or blamed them for the bad stuff that happened or told us to go away.

All our inside people were welcome to talk.

See; one of Miss Kathy’s special powers is that she see’s our insiders.

Yep; it is true. Sometimes she sees them even before we see them ourselves. That’s kinda weird. But it is true. She talks to them and remembers their names and everything. Wow! That’s pretty neat. Except for the insiders that are used to staying hidden. That is kinda hard for them; to be seen. Even if secretly inside they want to be seen. It is still kinda a scary thing when it actually happens. But Miss Kathy understands that kinda thing and makes it as safe a place as possible and accepts them just like they are. Even when they say mean things to her or say bad words; she doesn’t scold them or tell them to shut up or nothing like that. A couple times she even said bad words; but only if House Mom wasn’t around where she could hear them. She is polite to her mother and doesn’t want to say words that her mom would find offensive. I guess that is what people do when they respect each other. So we were busy every day and by night time we were tired and ready to sleep.

 

One special thing happened on one of the first days. It was an eclipse. Some people didn’t know what an eclipse was. This type of eclipse is when the sun hides behind the moon in the middle of the day. Some people knew what an eclipse was and were excited to watch it. Some people knew what it was and were kinda upset cause bad stuff happened to them before when it was night or the moon was a certain way. But this was a special occasion and Kathy made sure it was a safe event for us to experience together. Friendly3 and Kathy brought special glasses for everyone to wear to protect our eyes. We ate lunch and then went outside and sat in chairs to watch the sky. It was cloudy all morning and at the beginning of the eclipse. We all prayed that the clouds wouldn’t keep us from being able to see what was happening in the sky; and guess what?

Just when the most exciting part of the eclipse started to happen a special place opened up around the sun and we could see everything perfectly! Thank you Creator for making a special time for us!  It was exciting. The sun began to disappear and it got kinda darker outside.

The frogs began to croak and the birds began to sing their good night songs. Then it got even darker outside and the night lights turned on and it got cool. The fish started jumping in the lake cause the insects came out because they got mixed up thinking it was almost night instead of the middle of the afternoon. Yep; it was fun to watch and listen and feel all the unusual things that happened.

Then when the sun was hidden behind the moon we could take off our glasses and watch it with just our eyes. It was awesome!

We got some neat pictures with our camera and enjoyed watching all the special effects in the sky. Different colors and shapes that had special names that the scientists know but we don’t and that’s ok because sometimes it is more better to just enjoy stuff and not try to be all professional and scientific and forget about the feelings stuff and just stay in the head cause it is ok for stuff to be in the head but then it is too easy to forget all the feelings stuff and that’s important too and this time we just let it be a fun and feeling time and it was great.

After the sun started showing again just a little bit then the birds sang their morning songs and the frogs began to croak again. The fish started jumping out of the lake to catch the insects and the birds began dive-bombing the lake surface to get at the fish that were close to the surface. The air warmed up again and before we knew it it was full light and hot outside and all the critters were back to understanding that it was the middle of the day.

All except for one poor rooster. That rooster was sooooo confused! It crowed as it started to get dark. It crowed when it was dark. It crowed after it began to get light again and kept crowing even after the sun was fully visible again. Poor rooster just couldn’t figure it out. But that’s ok.

We all have things that confuse us and we just can’t seem to get them figured out. It doesn’t mean you are stupid or bad and you don’t get in trouble or nothing like that. That is a lesson we were all being reminded of at the SGI.

As soon as the sun was full again then the clouds came back and hid the sun again.

 

 

For all the critter activity associated with the eclipse; we didn’t see football kitty all day. Not a bit of it. Then the next two days it rained. There was thunder and lightening and it rained and rained. The wind blew and still it rained. All of our firewood got soaked and the grill blew over and still the rain fell. The lake got higher and higher and the little pond beside the house began to flood. We were never scared and never in any kind of danger from all the storming. But boy was it wet!

And no kitty.

Not the day of the eclipse.

Not the two days that it rained.

Everyone but especially Friendly4 kept putting out food for football kitty and we all worried about her.

Where did she go?

We all thought she might have gone to have her babies cause she had been so ginormous huge!

But where were they?

Were they safe?

How did football kitty stay safe?

If she had kitties how could she ever keep them safe and dry in such a giant storm?

Did she have any food anywhere?

Was she all alone?

Being alone can be hard. Being alone and hungry is even worse.

Oh football kitty we miss you! We care about you. We just don’t know where you are or how we could ever help you.

 

 

Thursday morning Friendly3 went for a walk-about. She liked to go walk around by herself and look for treasures. She found two plastic easter eggs; one with a sticker inside and one with a quarter inside. She also found lots of pretty rocks. She was a very good finder. This day she had a snack with her. A bag of popcorn. She walked over to the other side of the pond to where there was an old animal coop. Except for the rooster that was farther away, we hadn’t seen any chickens. And no rabbits. But there was something that looked like an old home for pets. Some said chickens; I kinda thought rabbits. It didn’t really matter anyway cause the man who owned the house said nothing lived there now. But guess what?

When Friendly3 got there she found something wonderful and exciting! She saw football kitty!

Only she wasn’t shaped like a football anymore and she wasn’t alone! She had seven tiny little baby kittens with her! We were so very happy to see that football kitty was now mama kitty and she and her babies were safe and dry. She must be hungry though.

 

 

So Friendly4 hurried as fast as her still hurting ankle would let her walk and carried kitty food towards her. And guess what? Kitty mama didn’t wait for her to get to her babies. She didn’t even wait until she was close. And she didn’t even walk towards Friendly4! Nope! As soon as kitty mama saw her friend she RAN RAN RAN as fast as she could across the lawn towards Friendly4. If she could have I’m sure she would have shouted hello. Told her she was so happy to see her.

Friendly4  gave her kitty food and poor hungry kitty mama ate and ate and ate. Oh how hungry she must have been. For two days she probably hadn’t had anything to eat and she had had babies and been taking very good care of them; nursing them and keeping them safe and dry.

Yep; that is what good mommies do. They put their babies needs ahead of their own and do everything they can to keep their precious helpless babies safe.

 

 

Oh yes; kitty mama is a good mommy. She is also smart cause she knew that Friendly4 and the rest of us were her friends and were wanting to help her any way that we could. So she let us look at her babies. We wanted so bad to pick up the babies and hold them and play with them. But that isn’t what was best for the newborn kitties so we didn’t touch them. Not that day. We wanted to real real bad. But we didn’t do it. We gave kitty mama food and water and let her stay in the wonderful nest she had made for her family.

And her kitties? They are so cute. Most of us had never ever seen kitties so teeny tiny. They couldn’t walk yet; but more like swam as they moved and climbed over each other looking for their breakfast. They make very cute quiet baby meows and a couple of them open their eyes a little bit. But Miss Kathy told us that they can’t see out of their eyes yet. They have tiny ears too; but again; Miss Kathy told us that they can’t hear anything yet either.

But they know their mama and love to snuggle up to her and feel her purring. Kitty mama let us pet her some and didn’t growl or try to scratch or bite us. The kitties are all different colors. We didn’t know that brother and sister cats could look so different from each other. But they do.

It is kinda like our kidlets or insiders. Some are bigger than others and look different on the outside. Of the kittens, two  are yellow, two are a peach color, one is black, one is gray, and one is tortoise shell colored. They have different personalities too. Some are pushy and active and some are more quiet and still. Some are girls and some are boys. But it doesn’t matter to them which they are cause they all lived together inside mama kitty just like our insiders live inside of us. I know it isn’t exactly the same. But it makes us feel kinda nice to think about them like us anyway.

And that’s ok. Cause our kidlets wish that they would have had a mama who loved and protected us. And that when we were scared and alone that a bunch of nice people would have come and helped us. Made sure we had food and water and were warm and safe.

And guess what? Miss Kathy talked to the man at the house and he said she could take them all home with her to keep them safe and love them while they are growing up. Then once they are more bigger and it is safe for them; then kitty mama and all the babies will get to go with kind people who will love them and take care of them and give them a brand new forever family and home. Isn’t that wonderful?

 

 

It was hard to say goodbye to all the people from the SGI. Good bye’s are always hard. We had eaten  so much wonderful and healthy foods. We got to know our forum friends more better and had more examples of people accepting us just like we are warts and all. We learned stuff and got some homework for things we can do to help us learn even more stuff for after we get home again. We got to experience an eclipse and maybe best of all; we got to meet football kitty that became kitty mama and seven little kittens. And know that they are safe and people are watching out for them and taking care of them and maybe; just maybe; some of the cats will be able to go join some forum members and find their own forever homes.

The End.

~ ~ ~ ~

 

My thoughts about the story

Well, you know, when I was planning the SGI process, I most certainly didn’t expect to have the excitement of a newborn litter of kittens thrown into the mix.  They were an awesome addition, and really, completely changed the course of the week. 

I did plan all kinds of hard things for a small group of dissociative survivors to work on, and we really did work on all those hard things too!  We had group discussions, we had private talks, we did skits, we did artwork, we did clay work, we did writing exercises.  We asked questions, we answered questions, we had important conversations around the dinner table.  We listened to trauma stories, we shared life stories, we supported each other during difficult moments, and we sat side-by-side.  Lots of important, and emotional inside work happened too, of course, but finding those adorable kittens was certainly an unexpected bonus!

What unexpected surprises have happened to help with your healing?! 

What unexpected life adventures challenge your insiders to grow and think?

Who will you get to help along the way of your healing journey?  

Thankfully, Momma Kitty found a good shelter to birth her kittens during the big thunderstorms.  That little chook house and the red box stopped the rain and the wind, but the old abandoned chicken coop was also full of wasp nests and had piles of dirty yucky poo.  Gross!  And it was gonna get real hot in there very soon.  It was a good safe place for a day or two, a perfect place to be born, but it wasn’t going to be a safe place for long.   

 

As a community we were happy to know we could help this new little family of kittens get a better home. 

It felt really good to be able to move her precious litter of kittens to a much cleaner house where she could safely get food every day, and have time to nurse her kittens far from predators — living in a safe place where all their needs were appropriately met without worry or stress.  How good is that?! 

I can tell you more of this story another day….  For now, just now that with the help of a good group of friends, all the kittens and Momma Kitty found a safer, better home.  They could grow, play, and live comfortably. 

And really, isn’t that the goal for all of us. 

Thanks for enjoying our story.

 

 

I wish you the best on your healing journey, and a safe, comfortable home, with good supportive friends!

Warmly, 

 

Kathy

 

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