Another (Hallmark) one?

"I brought the least trusting person I know to a place where nothing can be trusted."

 - "Believe in Christmas"

(see also https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2024/07/profundity-from-hallmark-movie.html

and https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2024/11/another-one.html )

Grief cleanse

In "Unlocking the Mystery of Grief," Cam Taylor suggests the "grief cleanse," a specialized form of grief journalling, that he credits to Christina Rasmussen.  This is a seven-step process repeated over seven days, mostly asking, "Grief, will you come out and speak to me?":

Step one - ask, Grief, will you come out and speak to me?

Step two - gauge your resistance 

Step three - why should I do this?

Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer

Step five - what did I find surprising

Step six - grief will you come out and speak to me?

Step seven - is there anything God wants to say to me?

So, I've done it.

Rasmussen/Taylor "Grief Cleanse" - Day one

Step one - ask, Grief, will you come out and speak to me?

Step two - gauge your resistance

 - no particular resistance or expectations, possibly 4/10

Step three - why should I do this?

 - let no one say that I am unwilling to try any unverified and unsupported suggestion that anybody makes to me about my grief and/or psyche.

Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer

 - crying

Step five - what did I find surprising

 - unsurprising

Step six - grief will you come out and speak to me?

 - no response

Step seven - is there anything God wants to say to me?

 - unsurprisingly, no response

"Grief Cleanse" - Day 2

Step one - ask, Grief, will you come out and speak to me?

Step two - gauge your resistance

 - 2/10

Step three - why should I do this?

 - recover anything I've forgotten or missed?

Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer

 - no response

Step five - what did I find surprising

 - how quickly resistance is fading

Step six - grief will you come out and speak to me?

 - no response

Step seven - is there anything God wants to say to me?

 - apparently not

Day 3

Step two - gauge your resistance

 - 1/10

Step three - why should I do this?

 - (so far not much point?  Simply completing task?)

Step four - ask grief will you come out and speak to me question again, write answer

 - note random moments in Hallmark movies trigger grief bursts?

Step five - what did I find surprising

 - low expectations, but surprisingly little benefit/insight so far

Day 4

 - no reponse

Day 5

Step three - why should I do this?

 - sheer desperation?

Day 6

 - no reponse

Day 7

see above

Grief topics: https://fibrecookery.blogspot.com/2025/06/grief-table-of-contents-and-resources.html

Review of "Unlocking the Mystery of Grief" by Cam Taylor

Taylor does, albeit very briefly, touch on the standard advice about grief: accept your grief rather than fighting it, think about your grief and your feelings, get enough rest, eat a proper diet, get some exercise, engage in activities, find a purpose.  He also suggests grief journalling, in a number of ways: poetry, the standard dairy-like journal, and grief writing prompts.  There is one additional format that he credits to Christina Rasmussen; the "grief cleanse"; a seven-step process repeated over seven days, mostly asking, "Grief, will you come out and speak to me?"

However, one aspect of the grieving process crops up over, and over, and over, and over again in the book: tell your story to empathetic listeners.  I am very glad that Taylor had people who were willing to listen to his story of grief sufficiently to get him through the grieving process.  I hope that everyone who goes through grief has his same good fortune.

Review of "Patience"

The British generally do police/detective TV series better than the Americans, generally with more creativity and less firepower.

"Patience" is an interesting addition to the genre, although it is not completely original.  It is obviously based on the French and Belgian series "Astrid et Raphaelle."  In both series a (female) police detective specializing in murders is assisted by a (female) criminal records archivist--who is also autistic.  As in most ensemble cast relational series, the relations between the characters are an important component of the series.  In the case of these two series, the relations between the characters is both complicated and enriched by the ongoing development of understanding between neurodivergent and neurotypical characters, and the budding perception of differing perceptions of what a relationship may be.  (How far this can be developed in a TV series is still open to question.)

The British series ("Patience") is much less consistent (although also less stereotypical) in terms of the representation of autism or Asperger's spectrum.  It also extends the exploration by having the detective be mother to a son who may also be on the spectrum.

Distracted Driving

So, we (Community Policing) are doing a distracted driving check.  We're at a light-controlled intersection.  The light's red, and the passenger is chatting with us (so that's a positive), and it's a nice, sunny day, and it's a nice chat.

And his Significant Other (who is in the driver's seat), pulls a Big Mac out of nowhere, and takes a huge bite.

I mean, you have to use two hands on a Big Mac, even if you are at a table!

So she's got both hands on the burger, and doesn't have a spare one for the wheel, and isn't looking at the road, because she's making sure the shredded lettuce and goop isn't falling into her lap.  And the light goes green, and they move off.

And I'm thinking, who's driving the car? ...