white_iris,
Thank you...I really appreciate your input on co-dependency.

Honestly? You said it in a nicer way than I would have
Sometimes I am blunt, NSS, but I ended up thinking of co-dependency as one helluva mess.
My own experience was the feeling that I was drowning in everyone else's problems, but also feeling lost.
And I was lost
There were no boundaries between me and others. Tangled up, didn't know where I started/ended, felt like I was a brown MM compared to the brighter colors in the candy bag...contrary to the commercial, they do melt and they do become a sticky mess.

"learning ground"
I like that thought. When we put on the brakes because it's become a bit painful is when we stagnate. We either learn that we will and do survive these rough times, or we get stuck in woe-is-me.

Learning The Dance was something I fought for a very long time. I was comfortable doing my little two step, but I was being invited to waltz; I learned to waltz and now I'm learning Hip-Hop (now that's a visual! )
But it feels good! Knowing more has given me such good feelings. Direction, for one.
I'm the type of person who wanders from her elbow to her *** then on to my ear, the intended place. The scenic route in some ways; walking blindly at other times.

Another one of my favorite says;
"Choose your battles. Narrowing your focus conserves energy for the things that really matter..." ~~unknown~~
I have wasted so much energy on piddly things! Ignorance or intention? Probably a bit of both...I would quite easily lie to myself so I didn't have to figure out what those things were...

In Peace