First off, congratulations! I'm so proud of you. You really earned that degree and earned the bragging rights for all that hard work.



I'm sorry you don't get to attend a formal graduation and I can so understand why you would want to share this culminating moment with someone who has been so significant to this journey.

Whenever I want to do something non-standard with T that I'm not sure he has a boundary on, I just ask ahead of time, usually via text. In your case, that would be email or a phone message. Even if he didn't reject the celebration, him seeming surprised or taken aback by it could be triggering for you, even if he has no bad feelings about it at all. So, for me, in these situations, I ask (even when I'm 99.99% certain T will say yes), to relieve myself of any fear of my own reactions to whatever perceived hesitancy there is on his end. Just feel safer doing things that way, personally.

TN - CONGRATS!!! What an accomplishment I know what a struggle it is to go back to school later in life while holding a job, and being in therapy and having a family, etc. A 4.0!! Great job!!

I hope you will talk about your T and try to plan something... you could bring the stuff and spring it on him, but you could also talk and see if he has ideas. I have a feeling it won't displease him, I think he will be genuinely happy for you and moved by your persistence, strength and endurance through everything to make it to where you are right now. I vote on asking him just because he might be able to think of things... but then again it's nice to be spontaneous too (sometimes planned things can put a lot of pressure on) - ugh... what a decision. I'm sorry I wish I had a better answer than this.

What I'm really sorry about is that you don't get to attend your graduation ceremony because it is far away. I wonder if they will webcam/webcast the graduation for those at home? I know some online Universities try to do that, or have something to punctuate the online cohort.

Anyhow my dear, congratulations!! I hope you can find beautiful ways to celebrate this accomplishment. This is inspiriting to me as I am in the final year of my degree too it sounds worth it to make it to the end.

Thanks, Cat and Yaku! I think I will mention it to him w/o adding in the details. I'll just ask if it would be okay to have a small celebration with him because it's an important occassion and he means so much to me I want to share it with him.

Cat.. the college does do a webcast of the ceremony and it will be in August. They do 2 graduation ceremonies per year... winter and summer. I fall into the summer one. I do plan to watch it with my family and my sister's family and then we will go out to dinner together.

I wish you well in your college journey, Cat. Keep at it and before you know it you will be graduating too!

TN

Hi TN
You don't really know me but I wanted to add my congratulations to those already received...having read your post all I can say is I think thats fab what you have done, and yep a celebration is called for with your T
I happened across your post reading this morning, and as I went back to grad school equivalent this year in the UK to do a Masters degree in a subject I really love and reading about your sucess after so much work has encouraged me to keep going...only 2 years to go for me...so thank you inspiring stuff

TN that is wonderful news. AND i think it would be OK and appropriate to do as you suggest. I think T would be ok with that!

That is super news! Well done!

As for celebrating with your T, I can't think that a small surprise celebration would be out of line, but then that is me, so maybe go with the majority and ask him beforehand.

Congratulations!

TN

A celebration is most definitely in order

I know how hard it is to work and study, I am very proud of you, it's a wonderful acheivement. I am sure T will be equally proud.

starfishy

((((TN)))))



Congratulations on your HUGE accomplishmenet. So awesome.

I would definitely check it out with him. And only because you don't want him to react in a way that could possibly spoil the possibly the mood if you just sprang it on him one session. I doubt he would be anything but extremely honored to celebrate with you. However, it can't hurt to iron things out ahead of time.



Liese

TN,
Always great hearing about people accomplishing higher education. Good for you...Congratulations! Great job on the 4.0 and doing it all with all the responsibilities of life.

Congratulations again!

Hopeful

Congrats to you!!

Can I chime in with stacks of congratulations for you too?

Well done you TN, that is SO good to hear, especially after the very real fear that your education was going down the pan because of OldT. You deserve to pat yourself on the back (as well as getting lots of pats from others!) for having been so determined to just keep going, and here you are. Graduated, with honours!

I don't know what to say about celebrating with T - it's not something I would do myself so I can't imagine how to go about it. I suppose I'm inclined to agree with what the others have said, mabye mention it to him beforehand just in case. On the other hand, if you surprised him and he responded really well, that would be so much more meaningful than had you 'warned' him in advance. Lol I'm not doing too good in the being decisive stakes here, sorry.

But good news all round TN, BIG hugs for you ((((((((( TN )))))))))))

LL

Congrats TN!!! So happy to hear this! I love the idea of celebrating with your T.

Maybe you could hint that you have 'something' in the works for next session, without quite giving away what it is? That would give him some warning without spoiling the surprise?

effed

TN that is truly awesome! Congratulations! you are in inspiration! it does indeed call for a celebration.

presently that's not something i could do, but it sounds like your T has picked up stellarly where oldT didn't leave off so well, and has been a very large part of why you were able to successfully complete your degree, and with high honors!!! so, i think it's in order to celebrate with your T.

Kudos, TN!!!

Congrats TN!!
That is truly inspirational.
I have enrolled this year for a degree in psychology too and am very nervous and waiting to fail...

What an inspiration you are!

Thank you everyone for all the nice words, congratulations and advice.

I do think I will mention this to my T. It won't be a big thing I'm doing but just something to commemorate the milestone. And to recognize how he has helped me to finish what I started despite the trauma I was dealing with. I can just ask if I can do a little something, I don't have to specify what exactly I want to do. That part could be the little surprise.

Scattered... you won't fail. Just go into this with the idea that you will do the best you can. Take it one day at a time.

JMB... glad I could help. Just keep going. All the little steps add up in the end.

Thanks Echoes for saying T would love to celebrate with me. I hope so LOL.

SD and Born2write... thanks for the good wishes.

Hey Monte... if you can dream it you can do it! This was always just a dream for me until now.

BG...thanks! I'd love a virtual celebration here with and some chocolate

Thanks for saying you are proud of me Starfishy. I hope you are well.

Liese...you are right I should check this out with T because a less than good response will be crushing. I'll talk to him on Thursday I think.

Hopeful and BLT... thank you so much for the congrats.

Lampers...of course you can chime in anytime! Thanks for the hugs. Yeah it was pretty dicey for awhile after the trauma with oldT. I could barely read a cereal box back then so school books were out of the question. Thanks to my wonderful T, I am almost back to normal with focus and concentration. It gets wobbly at times but he is always there for me.

Thanks again all,
TN

TN You rock!!!!

Now I just have to deal with the fact that you're GPA is SO much higher than mine was. Here's hoping you'll hang with the likes of me.

You getting your degree makes me feel like this:

And like this:



love, AG

Sorry I'm late to this, TN. You should be so proud - and brag all you want! Summa Cum Laude *and* a 4.0 is AMAZING. Congrats!!!!!!!!!

Congrats, TN- I put a congratulations before, but it seems to have disappeared somehow- I must have deleted without realizing it, I think the file was quite large and embarrassed me- anyway- I want to offer my best to you- you've done so well!

Love,

Beebs

True North!!! Congratulations. This is huge and I VERY proud of you.

Lots of hard work, sweat and tears I am sure put into getting that degree--just as any acquisition of a undergrad/grad degree is.

Much love and hugs to you.

I think you should talk to T about this little celebration. Feel him out and see what he is comfortable with. He might surprise you!

AG...thank you. I love that you are an elated, dancing banana! And of course I am going to hang around with you... you can't get rid of me that easily

Beebs... I saw that big wonderful congratulations with the picture you posted. No need to feel embarrassed, it was a lovely and thoughtful gesture. You are so sweet to be so happy for me. I really did like it!

Hi Kashley It's good to see you around. How are you? You need to update us if you feel you can. Thanks for the congrats. Aren't you also graduating this summer? And from a psych program too? I remember we spoke about Psi Chi.

Hi Unbroken...thanks so much for being proud of me. It's great to see you here again too. I know you have been struggling so badly and I know how that feels. It's a constant roller coaster of emotions. So thank you for popping onto my thread!

UPDATE:

Well, I have decided to ask my T tomorrow if I could celebrate my graduation with him. I don't want to suprise him with something like that because if he reacts badly it will be a horrible memory that will stick with me forever.

I went to the store today and bought a fancy bottle of Sparkling Cider (which I hope I like... never had it before LOL... I prefer the "real" thing). I also bought some mixed nuts and a box of those assorted fancy Pepridge Farm cookies and a package of graduation themed napkins. I didn't want to overdo it.... we only have 50 minutes and I have to lug it all there. Oh I also bought two clear heavy plastic champagne flutes for us to use.

The thing is he has no coffee table in his office so that presents a bit of a challenge to figure out. So... since at times we sit on the floor, I thought maybe I would bring in my breakfast tray... the kind that you use when you have breakfast in bed LOL. I can put it on the floor and use as a little table and put the stuff on it. I will be depending on T to open the bottle as I never open champagne bottles. I hope I don't make him feel embarrassed. Hope he knows how to do it LOL.

If he says no then I will just use the stuff I bought to have a little celebration with my family. I have never eaten anything in his office so it will be new and strange. I shared donuts for my birthday with oldT, munched on cookies he had one time, another time we ate yummy peanuts from the shell, and then a different time he heated up some Spanakopita (little spinach pies) and we shared some of them. I guess he was starving and had no time to eat dinner LOL.

Just wondering if you all think this sounds okay? The tray folds and is not heavy. It would take me 2 minutes to set up. Then I hope we can talk about what my options are for school, career or what this means in general. I also still feel a lot of grief over what I didn't have (support, money, advice) as a teen when it was time to decide on college and my future. But most of all, I just want to make a good memory with him. Things have been SO rocky lately.

Thanks everyone for the wishes and for being happy for me.
TN

TN: Sounds like a beautiful plan (ps I went on a long, almost paragraph explanation of how to open a champagne bottle - it's not hard you guys will be fine LOL). I've never eaten in my Ts offices either but at my ED place I've had to eat in the kitchen w/ a bunch of people but never me with my T I feel weird enough with my coffee. You're brave!

I hope T will say yes I think your breakfast table sounds like a good idea. My T doesn't have a table in her office either - we actually set up her huge massage table to color. My other T doesn't either so when we do stuff it's sitting on the floor. I don't think it's a big T thing to have tables maybe. When do you ask him?

It all sounds like a good idea - your T might have some sort of tray table thing hidden about the office. I think you will make a good memory with him - don't forget to let come up what comes, even if you surprise yourself with grief. I'm sure you already know but it can still be good/connected even if you end up talking about other stuff. I find when I'm distracted I start just talking about whatever with my Ts. I'm sorry things have been rocky lately - sounds like you're due for a gentle session and I hope it comes.

Congrats again

Aw, TN, that sounds wonderful. I have no idea why he wouldn't love sharing this special moment with you. It's such a huge accomplishment! And I love those little champagne flutes. They're so cute. Hehe. But I get the awkwardness...my T doesn't have a coffee table in between us either, so I'm not sure how I'd work that out if I were in your situation. Sounds like you've got it covered, though.

And I am graduating! In May, with a B.S. in Psychology, minor in Communication Studies. And Summa Cum Laude as well.

Congrats again, TN!! You deserve all the happiness in the world - I'm positive your T knows that too and would love to sip on some sparkling cider with you.

quote:

And I am graduating! In May, with a B.S. in Psychology, minor in Communication Studies. And Summa Cum Laude as well.

Well...look at YOU, Kashley... hiding your light under a bushel (that's an OLD expression LOL). Another Summa Cum Laude in Psychology! I am very proud of you too. I think I need to ask AG for a "clapping hands" smilie. So instead I will just say ... You have earned them. You have been through a really tough time this year in therapy and this is wonderful news. Are you doing anything to celebrate?

Hi Cat! What happened to the instructions on opening the bottle LOL

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a T with no table (old T had one which we used for lots of stuff) and that others sit on the floor and/or improvise when a table is needed. That makes me feel less self-conscious.

I plan to ask him in session tomorrow and will do the celebration next week if he gives me the okay. I'm thinking Thursday next week because our Monday session has been changed to earlier in the morning.

Thanks!
TN

TN, when you first thought about having your celebration with T - i imagined you two sitting on the floor on a picnic rug with all the things you describe. maybe the tray is a bit classier - so go for that. Everything else you say sounds really good. It is appropriate and not over the top.

i love how you have a contingency if your T is uncomfortable with the idea - but I so hope he is ok with it. He should be. He really should be.

So excited for you and so proud and I wish i could give you a hug in real life. Altho - that might be a bit weird since I am not a huggy person.... But you know the thought counts.

Tell us every detail about what he says.

SD

Yes. a table. T's love having NO tables - so that we talk more or something. Whenever I have had a table between me and my T's i feel a million percent more comfortable and I talk. With no table I feel like I am facing a firing squad. I am so going to tell T this. Your post reminded me of it.

quote:

Hi Cat! What happened to the instructions on opening the bottle

Wellll I thought you wouldn't need them so I erased it. I can tell you, it's easy - I open them and this is coming from someone who is afraid of balloons because they might pop and I only open champagne or pressurized stuff because I CAN'T STAND to watch someone else do it because I don't know when the pop is coming so I want to do it myself otherwise I'm cowering in fear or in another room, etc. So anyway first thing is... don't let it roll around in your car, or shake it up, or immediately open it when you get there without it sitting for a moment unless you want it to spurt out all over. There will be a cage on it with a "key" (so like a little bit of wire you can get your fingers on) you'll turn it about 3-4 times (so it is visibly not hanging on to the bottle anymore) to loosen it (some people take it completely off, I don't because I worry the cork will pop out in my face. Then with your hand, or a cloth over your hand (if you hate the noise) grab the cork as if you're about to open a jam jar your kids [H, you, whoever ] have covered the sides of with jam without wiping it and the lid is stuck. So you want the soft part of your hand covering the top of the cork - don't get all mcgyver and try to pop it off like beer bottle - it's possible but not a good idea. Some are more difficult that others you sort of wiggle/turn/pull all at the same time until you start to feel it give a bit (some come out fast, others you have to wiggle them around and worry you're shaking the stuff and it's just going to pop in your eye, etc - I've never had it happen and... I've indulged in a lot of celebration let's just say that)! Anyway eventually you'll hear it pop and it's open. Oh and if you're opening you'll get to this point where you're opening it (if it's slow) that you'll want to move your hand, or take the rag off so you can look at it - really badly because you're sure it's going to come out soon. I do not recommend visual troubleshooting unless you think the cage is stuck because you have the thing in a death grip. Don't do that (when I see people do that I get all nervous). If you take your hand off the top the cork could pop out and go flying - that's why a lot of people keep the cage on it. Anyway I could have said 'take off metal, grab it, twist it, pull it, drink it' but like I'm EVER brief and I'm also thoroughly terrified of them - so you just got the "for chickens" guide here.

ANYWAY - I would youtube this stuff. I once had a friend buy one of those crescent roll pressurized tin things (it's basically like having a bomb in your fridge) and youtube really seemed to help her out.

YEAH! TN!!!



You deserve a HUGE celebration, so I say go for it! I think he should be very honored that you have chosen him to share this with.

I've never really thought about doing anything like this with a T or P, but the whole table discussion made me think about the 1 T that I've seen who happened to have a nice coffee table in her room. It really did add a different ambiance, so I could envision doing this sort of thing with her more than my current P.

I think it's so great how you are planning this celebration. I also graduated with a 4.0, for my masters, while going through an awful therapy experience. I didn't really celebrate as that moment got lost in all that I was dealing with at the time. Wish I had at least tried something like you are planning!



Summer

Thank you, TN.

How did it go with your T today? Will you be partying it up with him next week?

SD... that was my first thought. A picnic on a blanket on the floor but then I thought of my tray because I was afraid the flutes would tip over and spill onto his rug if they were on an unsteady surface.

Cat... I loved your directions. I'm a bit like that too... worrying if someone is going to lose an eye from the flying cork! I had to laugh at the ready made biscuits in the tube...my son loves to pop that open. It always makes me jump LOL.

When I saw my T today I was feeling okay. His door was open and again I could just walk in without waiting in the reception room having my anxiety build to the point of running. I told him this and he said he knew that. He said he would do his best to have the door open for me but sometimes the previous client could run late. I told him that I understood and it was okay. I was also trying to arrive a bit later. I used to like to get there early and read a magazine or chill out for a few minutes but lately (since his wife moved in) that was not a relaxing situation any longer. He again said he knew that. I felt good that he was aware of this and that he was trying to take care of me and help me to feel less anxious. That gave me a warm feeling inside.

Okay so...........he said YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I asked him first thing when I saw him today. Of course he had to torture me and he made me look at him while I asked him because he wanted me to see his face when he replied. I was SO nervous and it took a few tries to be able to look at him and ask him if he would allow me to celebrate my graduation with him. He kept teasing me saying "TN, I'm not up there" (pointing to the ceiling where i was looking

Before he responded he asked me what it meant to me to celebrate. What would we be doing. I realized later he may have been afraid it would be some wild boundary breaking request, like going out to dinner or attending a party with family or something. So I told him... well, like just having some cookies. Then I remembered he does not want me feeding him (I used to bring homemade food to old T all the time) and I said quickly... I won't bake them I'll buy them. He laughed and said he would be happy and pleased to celebrate my graduation with me. Oh wow, it was hard to stay focused on his face at that point. (Later he complimented me on the hard work I did in trying to look at him while having that discussion, even if I had to "fixate" my eyes in order to do so. Meaning that while it seemed I was looking at him or in his direction, my eyes were really not seeing too much)

He then told me that he was so proud of me for finishing and that he had a lot of respect for me that I could do this while working full-time, doing therapy, raising a child and dealing with the trauma from oldT. He said I worked really hard and he would enjoy celebrating with me. Then he asked what did I think that his doing this with me would mean to him? I said that he would be able to celebrate putting me back together again well enough so i could graduate. He said... okay well that is true but something else. So I said that he would have this experience with me. And he smiled and nodded and said that this is part of our bond which is a bit different than the attachment issue. We bond together through the experience of working together in therapy and in sharing experiences that are unique to us and that he has with NO ONE else. It is something that I will always have and no one can take away from me.

He said he wished I could stop worrying about him "firing" me because I would do something that would cause him to want to be rid of me. He told me I was a terrible patient for the first few months I saw him after the trauma. He said that I could not ever possibly be as bad as that. I was slightly insulted and told him that I thought I was being "good" but maybe I just didn't care about him so much then. He laughed and said "you didn't even know who I was... you couldn't even SEE me. And then you told me you hated my office, complained that I didn't have a dog, that you had to climb stairs, that I didn't have a fireplace in here, and that I was not oldT" I had to laugh at that because it was SO true. Then he said that I did what he expected me to do and I did what all trauma patients do in the beginning. But he knew under all that was someone he could like and enjoy working with. Gosh, he is so awesome at times. He is so steady even though I give him a ton of shit all the time.

So then we talked about trauma and it's history and about my list of worries that are causing me anxiety. It was a just a really nice connecting close session and when I left I felt really good. He did mention that he expected that we would "work" while having our little celebration and I told him of course we would. I needed to talk about school and the grief that gets attached to that. So I told him I was thinking of doing it next Thursday. He said fine. I said, we could sit on the floor? He said, "of course" like he just expected that we would.

We shook hands and had eye contact. I told him I was having work issues again and I may need to call him tomororrw and he just warned he would be in meetings in the morning so he may not be able to return the call right away and he didn't want me to worry.

So right now I'm feeling good and happy and really grateful that he is in my life.

Sorry this got so long. Thanks for reading.
TN

hmm, this whole thing made me smile and feel happy!

this is great TN, way to go. I also read the terrible patient thing twice because... I was a really terrible patient for my T too for quite some time. She hasn't said that but we've shared a few sideways smiles about some things I've done in a 'that was really bitchy and annoying' 'yes, yes it was Cat' kind of way.

I'm so excited he said yes, how special! An experience for you and him only.

And... very impressed about the eye contact. I just had a talk like that with my T about that - she's only asked for eye contact 2 times (both of them only 2 times). I told her I hate it and I mean, she knows by now I've talked to her shoes for 2 years. I'm happy you are able to work this out, it gives me hope but I also know my Ts style is some kind of orientation where she'll deal with what comes up for me so I can't see her pushing me on the eye contact issue which is good right now I'm scared.

ANYWAY... this post moved me, thanks for sharing. Can't wait to hear more and CONGRATS again!!

PS: glad the bottle instructions made sense

(((TN))) So glad he said yes!!! I can't wait to read about next Thursday's session.

(((TN)))

Congratulations on your graduation. I'm so glad that you and your T are going to celebrate together. It is so nice to hear about such a good and connecting session. I'll be thinking of you next thursday.

Good one TN - way to go! That's so good that you not only were able to ask him but that he was so accepting of having the celebration (even if he did say it would still have to be 'work' .) But maybe your being able to celebrate your own achievements IS work, in a way, for you, so that alone is 'therapeutic'.

quote:

He told me I was a terrible patient for the first few months I saw him after the trauma. He said that I could not ever possibly be as bad as that...But he knew under all that was someone he could like and enjoy working with.

Wow I don't want to rain on your parade but this comment would have been really hurtful to me. I see you said you felt insulted, and I can't help but thinking, rightly so! It almost undoes the sense of his having been accepting non judgemental and there for you right from the start and in me, creates this fear that what if I DO become a big mess further down the track, does that mean I'll have become a 'terrible' patient again. What does he mean by that 'under all THAT' was someone he could like? Does that mean that who you were in those first months after OldT was NOT likeable? Ugh sorry I'm probably projecting like mad here and reading things into a conversation that you obviously experienced as very positive and supportive. I'm sorry if I'm picking holes where none exist .

So that apart, I hope you are really looking forward to your joint celebration. You SO deserve to feel good about yourself.

LL

quote:

quote:
He told me I was a terrible patient for the first few months I saw him after the trauma. He said that I could not ever possibly be as bad as that...But he knew under all that was someone he could like and enjoy working with.


Wow I don't want to rain on your parade but this comment would have been really hurtful to me. I see you said you felt insulted, and I can't help but thinking, rightly so! It almost undoes the sense of his having been accepting non judgemental and there for you right from the start and in me, creates this fear that what if I DO become a big mess further down the track, does that mean I'll have become a 'terrible' patient again.

Hi Lampers! I'm sorry to trigger you. I should have taken it a step further and explained more about this comment. I was rushing through my post last night. First, while I was a bit miffed he said that, I also had a sense that he felt our relationship was strong enough to bring this into the light and that there was a real, therapeutic and good reason for self-disclosing how he saw me in the beginning. And I think that because I believe he really would never hurt me on purpose I did not get really upset about it.

He told me that because I keep going in and telling him that I am afraid I am going to do or say something that will be "bad" enough to have him terminate me. His point was that I could forget about that happening because I could not possibly be more difficult than I was those first months with him. I was angry at what happened with oldT and would insult my T every chance I got. He bore the brunt of that anger I could never really direct towards oldT. He was not complaining about that he reassures me that I was doing what I was supposed to do and we are stronger for it.

I actually sent him an email last night listing a bunch of fears that i am struggling with lately regarding him but also somethings that are going on in my personal life. I got the most amazing, kind, and reassuring email I ever got from a T. I am really beginning to feel that our relationship is real, solid and good. And that he will take care of me (appropriately) and be there for me to depend on, while I'm doing the work to get stronger myself and learn to take better care of me. I am in good, safe hands.

So Lampers... thank you for watching out for me and for caring.

Sending hugs
TN

Oh TN this is beautiful. Just beautiful. You deserve this, please enjoy every second of your celebratory session with T.

I too am a non-eye-contacter. T asked me if she should prompt me more and I said no, it would make me angry, but sometimes she does pause and waits until she 'gets' me. Grrrr.

I am still that terrible patient...I am giving T a very bad hard time at the moment. Why do they stay there? I am doing my best to get her so angry that she will react so she will fire me.

When I read what your T said, I read it as a compliment to you - he said it because you both have such a strong relationship and he seemed to be saying it in a joking way. I really hope my T can speak like that to me one day - except oh I forgot, I want her to fire me.

Big hugs to you TN, this is a lovely story.

First of all, I'm sorry I got here so late, but I wanted to offer my sincere congratulations to you! It is a HUGE milestone, and I know how hard it is. I'll be graduating in August (4 years of studying Chinese medicine)and I have a BIG corner to turn, but it's there, and I am inspired by your accomplishment... there IS light at the end of the tunnel!!

quote:

So I said that he would have this experience with me. And he smiled and nodded and said that this is part of our bond which is a bit different than the attachment issue. We bond together through the experience of working together in therapy and in sharing experiences that are unique to us and that he has with NO ONE else. It is something that I will always have and no one can take away from me.

This is so cool. I'm so glad to see that this is possible. I'm a little sad, I had planned on my Ex T "participating" via texts/photos. But I really am glad to see that you have someone to share it with!!!!!

I absolutely LOVE what he said about the shared bond, as opposed to the attachment. He is regarding you with genuine respect, and it is a unique experience that only the two of you will have. It sounds wonderful! (can't find the right emoticon for it)

Cheers!

Sooooooooo you started this April 6 and said you graduate "next week" and it's the 13th now...

Is that today so I can start spamming obnoxious smilies either here or in another thread!?!?!?

TN,

I am beaming with pride over the fact that you were brave enough to ask him, and warmth from his response. How LOVELY to have a beautiful relationship like the two of you have. I think this is beautiful, and although I am broken right now, stories like these give me so much hope & courage to forge on.