I really prefer to go barefoot also!

Yes, and you've hit upon a point I make against online therapy: no halo data. It's very limiting, at least to me, to not have that to pick up the true meaning of what is being said... for surely, as you are expressing, what ppl say is often not at all what they meant. IRL, when we have those clues, we can tell that, I hear what you're saying but it isn't matching what I'm seeing from you.

For the above reason (among others) we simply must not read into what someone posts. If it take asking what they mean, and we risk their acting out back at us for asking, then so be it. Also, this is why we need to assume that the post is meant to be supportive. Unless it is obvious to all that it is unsupportive (in which case we don't reply, but notify the moderator) we have to search for whatever positive we can glean.

I expressly appreciate your ability to continue this communication with me here, for all to read, and not taking the questioning and my own thinking as an affront. This is really good posting for the site! (((hugs))))