Day 9

Day 9: Emma

Age: 19

Major: Forestry

Hometown: Houston

Connection to me: Printmaking

Emma: I need to vent.

Me: Go ahead.

Emma: My mom started smoking a couple of weeks ago out of the blue. 

Me: Mid-life crises?

Emma: Definitely but it's because she's under a lot of stress. She says its making her feel better but then 2 nights ago she had an asthma attack, and she's never had asthma.

Me: Why is she under so much stress?

Emma: Her parents are divorced. Her dad remarried and his new wife is a classic fairy tale evil mom. She isn't nice to my mom, and my grandmother (my mom's mom) is giving her a hard time as well. Plus my mom is now mad at the Christian church in general because a lot of Christians are "mean, hypocritical and religious". I think she's having a religious imbalance and an emotional imbalance from her parents. In addition to all that, she is also going back to school to do nursing at 45 years old, and financially we aren't doing well so it is all just very stressful. 

Me: How do you feel right now?

Emma: I'm just really confused. Why is her stress causing me so much stress?

Me: Stress is contagious.

Emma: But everyone in my family is stressed out now and dealing with it in different ways.  I feel stuck. How do I end this vicious cycle?

Me: What do you think will happen?

Emma: I hope that my mom will quit and realize that its bad. Or my mom will just become a person who smokes. Eventually I'll move out and away from the stress.

Me: Maybe you should move out sooner than later...

Emma: I still really love my family and there are plenty of good times as bad, now is just really bad. I just wish I could really help my mom but I cant.

Me: Its good you're talking about it and letting it out.

Emma: Yes, even talking now makes me feel better.

Me: Any tips on how to deal with stress?

Emma: Talking it out really works as I just found out. Find something you really like, such as writing in a journal or art and lastly, don't smoke!