New Perspectives

Have you ever had a string of eerily truthful horoscope predictions?  Are you even the type to read your horoscope? If so, do you take it seriously, or is it for entertainment?
A few weeks ago my horoscope in the Sunday paper said that, basically, I was in for a rough patch.  Especially at work, where my ego would take a few hits.  I read it, thought "Huh. Bummer" and promptly forgot all about it.
Until 2 weeks later, in the middle of yet another in a series of fairly crappy days when, yes, my poor ego, no stranger to battery, was being assaulted from all sides.  But nowhere more so than at work.  I won't go into detail, but between missed emails, honest payroll mistakes, and the fact that it's summer and classes are being canceled left and right, I was left feeling more than a little down.  And  I suddenly remembered that horoscope and thought "Crap!"
So I read the next Sunday horoscope, which said that lots of people will be giving me unsolicited advice, and I should listen intently, nod agreeably, and then do whatever the heck I wanted. Passive-aggressive? Sure!  But sometimes it's the only way to get through the day.
Then, as you know, we came upon yesterday, which was another Sunday.  Let me tell ya, this weekend has been ROUGH!  The culmination of a very cruddy few weeks, ending with me curled on the bathroom floor, sobbing into a towel and feeling like the most useless creature on the planet while Hubby went outside in search of the garage door opener that had flown out of the van while I was returning home, (don't ask me HOW it happened, I'm not entirely sure myself!) and I was convinced he'd get run over while riding his bike on that particular stretch of busy road looking for a stupid, crushed garage door opener.  But he made it home in one piece.  The door opener?  Not so much.
But we have another.
And we'll buy a new one.
But the BIG deal was that WG has been having GARGANTUAN meltdowns over the past few days.  Kicking, screaming, tearing at her own (and our) hair, scratching, and showing off just how healthy her lungs are.  She doesn't mean to hurt anyone.  What I need to keep reminding myself is that while she may be physically 6 1/2, developmentally she's somewhere between 12 and 18 months.  She cannot speak. Her communication is basic.  She gets SO frustrated and stressed out, and reacts, really, in the only way she can right now. 
We had a meeting at her school a couple of weeks ago and we all decided that communication is THE most important area for her right now.  She's had speech therapy, on and off, since she was 17 months old.  But when she started school, the district told us she didn't qualify because she cannot talk.  This was after 2 1/2 years of us begging them to give her a speech assessment.  I could have told them that, DUH, we KNOW she doesn't talk, we want you guys to work on ways to communicate!  (The psychologist from the school district was embarrassed when she heard about this, and actually apologized, which was not necessary but nice, nonetheless.) Luckily I received this notice 2 days before she started at her new school, where she gets speech every freakin' day!
So we're looking into things.  She has a couple of signs, but her impulsive gesturing makes sign language difficult for her.  We also have little pictures that we're teaching her to give us; things like food, water, books, etc.  She has trouble with the concept still.  But she'll get it.
There are also speech assistive apps for iphones/pads/pods, etc.  Not that we have any of those yet, but we'd get one if it will help her.  They have one at school, and they're going to try it out.  So there are LOTS of options out there.
And who knows?  Maybe she'll even learn to speak one day.
This new perspective came to me this morning as I sat by helplessly while she had her meltdown.  I could see the frustration in her, REALLY clearly for the first time.  Eventually she calmed down and just wanted to be held, and I didn't feel so helpless at that!
I also looked at yesterday's horoscope:  "Issues confronting you are merely a matter of fine-tuning.  Address health concerns. Learn a new skill. Restart a fitness program. Your image, energy, and adaptability on the work scene are all-important."
Kinda freaky, as I'd been thinking about ALL of that stuff just yesterday!  Like the fact that my weight gain has put stress on my joints, and is probably due to lax cardio, that I really needed an attitude adjustment, I'd like to learn how to knit, and that work is all about being present, energetic, and willing to go the extra mile.
Not that I'm gonna start living my life by the astrological chart, mind you.  But sometimes a girl needs all the advice she can get!