Let's Not, And Say We Did

Dr. Forbes told her to write out all the reasons she loved Jeremy.  Three days later, Melanie was finding the assignment to be both easier and more difficult than she'd imagined.



There were a million reasons to love Jeremy, big and small.  The joy he got every time she surprised him with Sour Patch Kids.  That he always, almost instinctually, knew how to lift the mood of loved ones who were struggling.  The rock he'd been for her after her mother died, even though they'd only been dating a few weeks at that time. That he woke up every morning to make her coffee, even though he rarely drank it himself.



Melanie found writing the list difficult, in part because she thought she'd never reach the end.  But with each inane item, she felt like a horrible person for even having to write the list.  By the time she reached #112 - "he always watches sappy romcoms with me" - she had painted the portrait of a kind, compassionate thoughtful person.



"So what did you learn from the assignment?" Dr. Forbes posited.  Melanie liked Dr. Forbes.  She liked that she got straight to the point.  Her office looked like a Crate and Barrel ad.  She liked that she didn't fight when Melanie told her she'd prefer to call her Dr. Forbes instead of Rebecca. 



"I would feel better knowing the bounds of our relationship," Melanie explained during her initial interview session with Dr. Forbes.



Dr. Forbes paused, then nodded slightly.  "I don't have a rip-the-bandaid-off approach, at least not with all my patients, and not until I know if they are responsive to that method.  We may discuss later your hesitancy to use my first name, but for the initial few sessions I believe that the patient should be fully comfortable.  So if you would prefer to call me Dr. Forbes, so be it."