Dear T,
I think the main reason I was so horribly anxious during the first half of session was fear of asking your for the transitional object. Maybe you realized that after I did it? But then...maybe it really was mostly about the interviews, and like you said, I got some of the anxiety out with you? Or it was a mix of both?

This probably sounds so pathetic, but you telling me to just be myself makes me think that you feel I'm an OK person, someone that people would want to spend 4-5 years around (for the PhD thing). And that makes me feel better. I mean, not that I thought you'd say I needed to try to be someone else. Or that you'd imply that there's no way people would want to be around me regularly for that long (because that would have really hurt).

But still...as pathetic as this may sound...it makes me feel like *you're* OK hanging around with me. That, to use your analogy, you'd be OK being in the same fish tank as me. That means a lot.
Love,
LT