Letters from Sasha: Looking Ahead

Introduction: There are some people who just keep giving of themselves and their time, without hesitation and without judgement.  No matter what is going on in their own lives, they continue to make time for countless others.  Thank you, Marco.

Dana

12.6.2011

Dear Professor Pardi,

“What this class did for me personally is nearly impossible to put in an email.  The semester was over too quickly, and I am already looking forward to the next! Everyone I spoke to was sad to see it come to a close.

Thank you again, and I will see you in January!”

Sincerely,

Sasha

10.30.21

Marco,

Thank you for this site and for encouraging others to contribute their thoughts.  It is clear you spend your time being available for others, and in between you write things we need to hear.  Unlike you, lately I spend most of my free time thinking about myself, and doing things for me.  You’ve also shared that the majority of your time is dedicated to signing hundreds of petitions and writing letters as an activist.  I wonder how you stay motivated and avoid feeling defeated or giving up.

Aside from writing, I’ve been through counseling a number of times.  No counselor really forced me to look at myself and most of the sessions were spent living in the past.  That was my doing because I wanted to be heard.  They were doing what therapists do, but constantly reliving the past kept me there.  If pain defines me, all I feel is pain.  When I try to ease the suffering, I only make it worse.  

Still, I’m grateful for any progress.  I’m fortunate others were there to listen when I couldn’t trust myself.  Now it’s time to move on and keep looking ahead.  We all have a past and challenging things happen to everyone.  No matter who we are, there will be people who just don’t like or refuse to accept us.. It’s never too late to make better choices despite what we have or haven’t accomplished, or what was done to us.  

Some of what I journaled was filler, by an insecure person still trying to fool herself.  I see no reason to return to that person.  There might be future Letters from Sasha, but they will be nothing like the ones that brought her here. Thanks for all you do!

Sasha