Being reflective was never one of my talents. Rarely would I look back at things said or done, examining actions and motives, realities versus perceptions. Not my own, nor another’s.

And now, stepping into the role of grief group facilitator, I am having to develop my skills at reflective listening, responding to the thoughts and feelings I sense from the communications of another, so that the speaker feels heard and understood.

Focus on the other person’s message and feelings. Don’t make judgments. Don’t offer advice or my own perspective, I remind myself. But I’m kinda like an old upended tree trunk, absorbing the wet and warmth, and impervious to almost everything else around.

In Photoshop I turned the reflection of trees and clouds in my pond upside down for this fabricated landscape. Definitely not paying respectful attention to what lay before me.

Altered Horizons 66