I have a friend who calls me her kaleidoscope friend. I think of her as my ambassador friend because she worships with a large group of people who really don’t understand my multiplicity and see it in a very negative light. They occasionally convey to her how wonderful she is for being my friend (like she must be a super Christian with amazing stamina and grace to be able to be friendly towards me), to which she responds with a comment that conveys how blessed she feels to be my friend, emphasizing that the relationship is as much a blessing to her as it is to me. These are people who have wounded me (and my family) deeply while attempting to minister to my family and me.

My Christian counselor often tells me how much she respects me and how very mentally healthy she sees me as being. (I suppose there should be a better way to say that, but since I can’t seem to come up with it right now, I will just hope you understand what I’m trying to say.) When I say how insecure I am about setting boundaries, she tells me that she has experienced me as someone who has very healthy boundaries. When I express uncertainty about communicating clearly or being able to express myself in written word, she tells me how well she thinks I am able to write. She has encouraged me, prayed with me, and believed in the many of me countless times when that was what we needed most. In a couple months she will no longer be working with counseling clients (including me, of course,) and I will the times we have shared with each other.

My EMDR therapist tells me from time to time how honored he is to work with me. All I can say to that is, WOW! I mean, how incredibly edifying is that?

I’m part of an on-line community where the members know about my multiplicity and have shown genuine interest in understanding what life is like for me and encouraging me along the way. They also present to me an opportunity to minister to them, and they really value my input. They don’t hesitate to tell me how they see me (which is in a very positive light) or correct me when I get too down on myself. Their input means more to me than I can really say. They pray for me and with me for others. They are an incredible blessing to me.

My younger brother calls me his hero. That is a place of great honor that he does not give lightly or without significant thought. To be his hero is an extreme honor that blesses and humbles me.

These are not the only people who think and speak highly of me, but they represent the whole well.

At times I am tempted to let the volume of negative or critical voices turn up in my head, and I feel the criticism deeply. I could be convinced that they are accurate in their assessment of me; but then I remember the many voices of encouragement that are spoken to me and about me; and the wind of those encouraging voices raises me up above the pronouncements of negative judgments to where I can soar.