Wendy, you're so right on with the <font color=red>acceptance</font color=red>. The dragon, inner child, cloud need to be accepted just as they are.

How do we know what they need? I think they'll tell us. We already know they need validation and acceptance. We know they aren't going away. That's some knowledge about them.

For me, in dealing with my inner child, I can tell when I'm feeling or acting infantile. I know what it is I'm wanting or needing. Like Friday; I wanted to celebrate my victory in court but my husband was too tired. Only thing is, he failed to tell me. Instead he got mad and stomped out of the house. I cried... my inner child cried. She wanted validation that she had made a wise choice in not taking the attorney with her, she wanted validation of the long struggle and wait for that day. She wanted validation for having stuck it out for three years! All she wanted was some fun with her "sons/syblings." For the adult me, they are my sons. For the "inner child," they are her syblings because she can goof off and have fun with them.

So... what did the inner child do? She got impatient because she didn't get an answer right away and pushed it. I could feel myself wanting to jump up and down and stomp my feet and cry "I want a piece of pie and some time to goof off with the boys!!!!!!! I want you to show me that I 'done good!!!!!' "

I didn't make myself clear to my husband because the inner child was afraid to be rejected again and told "No big deal, Kid!" I didn't tell him how badly I wanted to think out of the box! I didn't make him understand just how difficult it had been for me and how hard I had to fight to get what I needed.

That doesn't mean I would have gotten any more than I got, but at least I would have made myself clear.

What I had to do was emotionally and mentally pat myself on the back. I've got a lot more making up for it, too. I've been too preoccupied by his abscence. He's home now, so we'll have a long talk. hehe

<font color=blue>This above all: To thine own self be true. --Shakespeare</font color=blue>