I finally had a good night sleep. Over the last two weeks I slept poorly. Had nightmares, some nights I slept too little, others I slept too much – neither restful though. I lost weight.

Here is a good reminder. I knew this truth, but except for my parents and my psalm friends, nobody validated nor willingly accepted my boundaries … on the contrary. It is hard to accept other people’s boundaries, especially when you don’t have boundaries of your own.

“Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances — Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions — Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from harmful, manipulative emotions of others — Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God’s will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator — Often Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: – Can I set limits and still be a loving person? – What are legitimate boundaries? – What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? How do I answer to someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? Aren’t boundaries selfish? – Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries?”

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Our friend is alone, still pushing everyone away. We are walking a delicate line here.
Last night the psalm group got together and we asked her to join us. Her isolation time reached it’s due date in our instincts, separately but simultaneously. And we are concerned. I am so glad we have a group of wise godly women as a support system.

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It is quiet right now, inside me at least, and I’m grateful for it. In the thick of it, it was an ocean storm, with tall angry waves, darkness, physical exhaustion and danger.

This morning we have anther meeting with the social worker to talk about our relationship as a couple and discuss our budget. And tomorrow we fly to Dublin for the week. Wanderlust is taking us places.