Good Morning College PARK!

Coffee is good and hot

and morning

is

"early" here. What self respecting ground hog would allow itself to be drug out on such a cold and awful day as yesteday I can't help but think anyway???

BUT

if we will have an early spring as that critter signals

I am "all good with that news"!

I must tell you as I tell me,

I am still more than over the moon about the flight happenings in Tampa

and

the work of

Creator and Granny

to keep me off that plane headed for Philadelphia

on the first day of February!

Last night hearing that 50 states are affected by this weather and seeing photos of the snow, the ice,

and knowing that

`100 million people have been affected

is staggering.

The fellow from BWI "Vlad" who drove me to Ellicott City

had arranged to be there to bring me to College Park

after speaking, and sure enough, he was there

waiting, he even came back to the amphitheater to listen to the end of the seminar he told me as he smiled.

He also told me he was blessed by our converstation about the plane and Granny, and grateful that I had asked

if he would transport me to College Park, finding himself

thinking much about it and about how

"spirit moves".

He had shared the story with his wife

and

felt even more strongly about it when

he arrived at BWI yesterday

and had NO FARES all day

until coming for our "pre arranged" time.

He thought it all connected somehow

from the original plane story and Philadelphia!

And

he had NO fares

because

BWI

had no travelers

secondary to the airlines all being shut down

with travelers stuck in snow!

Spirit.... connections..... Remarkable isnt' it?

after a big and great and chilly day

in

Ellicott City

at the

fabulous

resort of

Turf Valley

and

a great group of folks who did not let the

Ice storm keep them away!

We had a powerful, intense and times humorous and most wonderful shared time...

Tears fell, laughter was heard, and much hard work

was done by all.

I experienced another

"first"

yep

it finally happened after all these many years of speaking professionally!

yep

I had a fellow named

"Joe"

who sat in the front row with a lovely woman

who at first I thought was his colleague

her name was "Lee"...

So

After all these years, and we are talking a bunch of them...

my new pal

"JOE"

was my first ( remember those firsts)

haha

Good ole' Joe

you see in this picture

with Lee

that at the end of the day

allowed my to take their photo!

That there

"JOE"

was the first ever person

to

"fall asleep while Dr Showalter was talking"

yep

JOE

was "my first"

and

"I did not really enjoy it too much"

although

Joe tried his best to make me feel better

and the others got a real hoot out of it

when he said,

"Dr Showalter, I've fallen asleep

in many many seminars before"

(I think he was trying to make me feel better with that)

LOL

LOL

Of course I then

took my mink and offered to make

my friend Joe a real comfy pillow

in the event that he wanted to be more comfortable

LOL

And

as our day drew to a close

I then got it.... Joe and Lee were more than colleagues

as I glanced over and saw them

snuggled more closely together there;

right there

in the front row!

BAM

I then figured it all out

How bout that?

So of course

I just had to let the rest of this wonderful group know

not only was

JOE a first for me,

but they were more than colleagues and,>brave enough to sit in the front row close to me since

MOST

 folks tend to sit in the back rows when they first arrive!

BUT

they were really really close!

We all got a great laugh from that

and

I'm sure it was all in great humor

after a long day of finding tools

to enhance resiliency

and

continue the hard work that is being done

in

Maryland.

In that group of social workers, psychologists, mental health therapists, hospice workers, domestic violence workers, adult, child workers, practitioners who specialize in sexual abuse, working with military, with women, in institutions, those with mental health issues, in patient and out patient facilities, private practices,

all top notch professionals gathered!

Now... I'm still not sure what Joe does, cos' if memory serves me, when I asked he said, "auto parts"

and

I can get with that (parts are parts)

after all he "fell out" on me

as I was talking with such passion

on

Compassion Fatigue!

When added up,

this group had collectively

899 years of professional experience between them

with only 4 or 5 people with less than 3 years!

For those people I applaud the "babies" of the group

for coming to an intense seminar

and taking best care of "self".

Speaking of taking "best care of self"

The night before?

During that remarkable, joyous, priceless reunion

with my girls

Joan and Olivia?

OH my how my heart was filled with splendor

and such amazing grace

laughter still rings within

with each breath we shared and each sound of their voices.

AND

what a meal at the Turf Valley I ate

Blue Crab Cakes

OMG

Presentation>Taste>OMG

Color Olivia and the Nana, over the top HAPPY!

We were insane off the hook crazy

over the whole experience of dining

of

being together

of

romps on the King Size Bed

of the taste of water

and

then

then

I was honored to meet some fantastic folks

working and doing so much for so many

in the state of Maryland the next day

and

on top of all of this

I have my first with good ole cutie Joe

as he lays his head down

and takes a nap as I am speaking to such a wonderful group! But odds are great that he never in his wildest thought figured I would

"call him out" about it!

NOW just tell me

am I blessed beyond words or what?

Thank you Joe, for being a trooper,

to you Lee ( I hope you will be well soon)

and all who attended the seminar

fighting the ice storm traffic

to attend.

YOU are warriors,

now go forth

with your attitude of

enhanced resilience and the tools (and words)

knowing

as Vitor Frankl said so eloquently

"That which is to provide light must endure burning"

Your best is good enough

Take best care of you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU_JL-f0AN8

The fire is burning brightly, the sage is now being sent from College Park MD on the winds my friends, blessings and best to all today.

Walk In Beauty,

with an attitude of gratitude,

DRSES

http://www.drsherryehowalter.com/

That is the

HOPE

in

Healing Heartaches