Welcome to July! Can you believe 2022 is already half over? It seems as if the past couple of years have just been a blur. Oftentimes, it has felt as if the day, week or month would never end. On the other hand, where did the time go? The thing that has kept me going is having those who are near and dear to me within my reach. Whether that be physically or telephonically, I was always uplifted by their presence.

I remember my daughter telling me one day, “Mom, I need to talk to you, but I don’t need you to have your counselor hat on or even your mom hat on. I just need you to be quiet and listen to me.” In my years as a counselor, I was not in the habit of giving advice to my clients. Instead, I put my counselor hat on and listened. Sometimes, we sat in silence. Oftentimes, that is all we need.

I hope you enjoy this passage by A.A. Milne from his beloved book Winnie the Pooh.

“Today was a Difficult Day,” said Pooh.

There was a pause.

“Do you want to talk about it?” asked Piglet.

“No,” said Pooh after a bit. “No, I don’t think I do.”

“That’s okay,” said Piglet, and he came and sat beside his friend.

“What are you doing?” asked Pooh.

“Nothing, really,” said Piglet. “Only, I know what Difficult Days are like. I quite
often don’t feel like talking about it on my Difficult Days either.

“But goodness,” continued Piglet, “Difficult Days are so much easier when you
know you got someone there for you. And I’ll always be here for you, Pooh.”

And as Pooh sat there, working through in his head his Difficult Day, while the
solid, reliable Piglet sat next to him quietly, swinging his little legs…he thought
that his best friend had never been more right.”

Sending thoughts to those having a Difficult Day today and hope you have your own Piglet to sit beside you. If you need someone beside you, please remember EAP as a resource for assistance. An EAP counselor can put their listening hat on and help guide you through difficult days.

The Employee Assistance Program is a benefit to you and your household members. EAP provides confidential, professional assessment, referral and brief counseling services to you and your dependents.  It is paid for by your employer. The EAP is now offering in-person visits and the continued option of telehealth. Contact Methodist EAP at 901-683-5658 to set up your counseling session.

Sandra Worlow, LCSW, CEAP

Director of EAP & Community Behavioral Health

Sandra Worlow received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Arkansas State University and her Master of Science degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Memphis Branch. She is a Licensed Clinical/Certified Social Worker in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. Sandra is originally from Northeast Arkansas and has worked in a variety of settings in the Mid-South area as both an administrator and a clinician. In her spare time, she enjoys walks with her daughter, reading and traveling.