Finish the sentence, "Never Underestimate the Power of . . ."

I leave you to fill in the blank here.  For each of us, this sentence is wide open.  Right now, for me, it seems to be "a good cry."  During this transitional time, the day is filled with what are pre and post deluge.  I know that I have created a dream team of supportive folks who can carry me along, lifting me up and over the bumps.  But there is something deeply satisfying about balling your eyes out.

Driving while doing this has prompted others who share the road with me both worry and concern.  As my eyes are filled with tears, and the redness around them look like I have advanced liver disease, I shoot them a big smile with two thumbs up and they drive away slightly confused between the tears running down my face and universal indicator of all is good.  A mixed message if ever there was one.

I have learned a lot about the power and strength of the human heart.  I often wonder if the waterworks will ever stop, or if this is just like seasonal allergies, only to repeat when the conditions are ripe to play the heartstrings and then pull them until they snap hard against the skin.

I use the sentence prompt in the title of this blog as a way to understand the psychological assessment, "Sentence Completion Test".  This standard projective test is a telling one to see what individuals are thinking about when prompted.  Sentence completion tests typically provide respondents with beginnings of sentences, referred to as “stems,” and respondents then complete the sentences in ways that are meaningful to them. The responses are believed to provide indications of attitudes, beliefs, motivations, or other mental states.

I know each of us will have answers that vary depending on our situations, however, let me ask you, how different you think your answer would be to somebody struggling in their life?

Sample questions are:
1) If only I could only...
2) People I know....
3) I can always...
4) I think guys....
5) What makes me sad is...
6) I think girls...
7) Compared with my father...
8) Where I live....
9. My mother was the type....
10) My health is...
11) I am scared to...
12) People would like me better if I...
13) It is hard to resist the temptation to...
14) It's a shame that parents...
15) It feels like punishment when...

So when you feel like you just need to have a good cry, maybe ask yourself some open-ended questions and see where it takes you.  I can tell you, "What makes me sad is  . . ." is not the question I would like to start with.  

Lastly, let me give you a test.  Which image below is a piece of art, and which is a projective test? Sometimes reality and fantasy are very close cousins.

Images:
Kara Walker "Cut", (1998)
Kara Walker "You Do" (1993/94)
Rorschach Test Blog No. 3 (1921)