Coming Out of the Trees (excerpts from my therapy journal)

I’m passing along a collection of excerpts from my personal and therapy journals to whomever desires to read them. I’m sharing my story so that those of you who are on a similar journey can know that you aren’t the only one – and so you can know that there is a way through. It is my intention to tell my story with both authenticity and dignity.

The title of my blog comes from a phrase I penned in the Fall of 2007:

“I feel like I am walking through a thick forest and I don’t know where I’m heading, I only know to follow the compass. I believe someday I will come out of the trees and into a clearing. I believe that, when I enter the clearing, I will finally know my primary life’s calling. Until then, I have to walk in faith.”

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To start at the beginning of my story, click here: First journal entry

If you would like read a synopsis of the story (an alternative to reading all of the posts – of which there are currently 900+), click here: The condensed version of my story

Or, if you want to pick and choose which posts to read, you can browse the
archives pages anytime.

And, you may contact me via email: magnalady1@aol.com
(please put “Coming Out of the Trees” in the subject line so I know it’s not spam)

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Here is my Bio
Screen name: Marie
Age: Mid 40’s
Single – married once for 10 weeks about 15 years ago
No kids
Live in a smaller town in northern Colorado, USA
Live in modest but comfortable/cozy diggs
Drive an old but reliable car
Earn my living teaching piano lessons
Got a modest education (AA degree from a little Christian school)
Grew up in a small town (farmer’s daughter)
Came from a very conservative/religious family
Dad died when I was 23, Mom lives nearby
I’m the baby of four siblings, we are scattered all over the country
Our family members all get along with each other
Universalistic in my spiritual beliefs
Liberal in my political views
Love to read — mostly non-fiction (random, off-the-wall topics)

Me as a kid

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Here are the people who regularly show up in my blog

Mark – my first therapist

Dr. Barb – my second therapist

Edward – my third (and current) therapist

Melodie – my very best friend of 20+ years (college roommate)

Susan & Erik – my current housemates

James, Cindy and Sara – the cop dad, paramedic mom and their daughter, the dad and daughter are my piano students

Jeff – my student, the psychiatrist

Matt – the 9-year-old savant/autistic neighbor to whom I teach piano

Jerry (also called “X”) – the guy I believe molested me (the music director of my childhood church)

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Here is the story behind the photo in the header

The photo in the header was generously provided by Jim Dollar through creative commons licensing. I encourage you to check out the rest of his photos on flickr.

The photo was taken October 3rd, 2009 and it is of Pyramid Mountain in Alberta, Canada (Jasper National Park). Although this peak is located about 1,000 miles (1,600km) to the north/north-west of where I live, it belongs to the same mountain range (Rocky Mountains) that I can see from my town. In fact, the photo looks as if it was taken in our “neck of the woods” — the trees are the same, the dramatic rawness of the peaks are the same, the clear mountain streams are the same . . . so, I figured the photo was a great fit for my blog’s header. Thank you, Jim!

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Here are the sources of the quotes displayed in the yellow boxes
“Instructions for Life” by the Dalai Lama
Apples of Gold by Jo Petty
Excuses Begone! by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
You Can Be Happy No Matter What by Richard Carlson, Ph.D.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
For the Love of God by Benjamin Shield and Richard Carlson
Ask . . . by John L. Mason
Sharing Hearts: Little Chats for a Sweet Life by Dee Appel
What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life by Niki Anderson