Originally Posted by
haennie 
I'm so sorry about all this, my friend. You know what I've been thinking a few times already? Not just reading your post here from today. That perhaps you react to the recent stresses in the wrong way -- instead of finding more time to relax and engaging in non-demanging activities and with people who might lift you up, you take on more work, more responsibilities, more desire to help Mary Ann...
Thank you, haennie, for your insights.
I don't disagree with any of the observations in your post. I don't believe that I always see the full picture of what's going on with me, particularly when I'm managing stress. You and others here have given me a lot to think about, but I'm now putting off any serious inner work, based on all your recommendations.
About the course I'm teaching...I gave it a lot of thought before I accepted the position, and I sought counsel from a couple of people I trust. Much of my clinical work has been with people who have experienced or are now experiencing loss -- of love, of other people, of the self they came to know. And much of my work in research involves themes of loss. There are no accidents.
So far, it's done a good job in helping me to maintain some perspective about things, even when it touches the most fragile parts of me. I haven't yet experienced it as being overly stressful.