I Can See Clearly Now
Dr. Sonja M. Ramirez is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and New Jersey. She has a mobile office under the business name Ramirez Behavioral Healthcare, LLC. Dr. Ramirez also works as a Contract Psychologist for both acute and sub-acute rehabilitation centers. Dr. Ramirez engages in sessions in client's homes,... more
Finally, I can see clearly, even in the dark!
While this seems to be a very simple, straightforward statement, it contains many layers that have formed over the past two decades.
The surface - and simplest - meaning is that I now have a pair of night driving glasses with a .25 prescription. The number may be minimal, but these lenses greatly improve my ability to drive in the dark. I can see the signs clearly now. I can also see people walking in the street, despite the headlights of oncoming cars.
This is a metaphor for the culmination of years of my health failing or of my being physically knocked down – literally - by illness or accidents because of my refusal to take care of myself first during times when I approached dark or difficult personal stressors and struggles, or during times when I felt overwhelmed or overburdened.
In the past, I continued to push forward, take care of others, and fight hard to keep my life operating as if everything was 100%. I refused to surrender to my circumstances, seek support, and actually see myself and my circumstances for what we were – exhausted and burnt out. I had no clarity, and my objective was always taking care of others first - it was not self-care.
I hope to inspire others to care for, love, and live for themselves first. We are most helpful when we are at our best, which requires self-care and self-preservation before a focus on everyone else. I’m a walking example of everything I write or speak about to clients. I am a practice of what I preach. I am always in progress.
