Dear T,
I still feel OK about the handshake conversation. I understand that you want to think about it. I'm hoping if it's a "no," it wouldn't be a "no, not ever again," just a "not yet, maybe sometime in the future." I do appreciate your confirming that you're not making any sort of physical contact with any client. And how when I said I worried you'd say no just because I seemed to want it too much, you said, "That would be a very mean thing to do."

I also appreciate what you said about how I can talk about things that might not be part of how you usually work. That I should use the language I want for it, that it's up to you to adapt to me. Also explaining about the arm-folding thing.

What you said about D really helped, too, including when I seemed at a loss for words in how to explain what I was feeling and where I felt I was lacking. I went to see her karate performance at the end of camp, and I could tell she was really struggling with the noise, lots of people there, etc. But she still stayed in it and kept trying. I teared up a bit at that. And told her afterward that I was proud of her. I'm trying to do what we talked about, though I was also genuinely proud.

I hope you're safe in your travels and able to meet in person Friday (or at least virtually). I'm glad you'll be back then rather than being gone over another weekend. I made it until Saturday without contacting you last time, so hopefully, barring any sort of outside-life crisis, I can get through without emailing you until you're back. And I have the R session in there, too.

Love,
LT