Skip to content
Estrangements Blog
Menu
  • Introduction
  • Guidelines for Being Estranged
  • Estrangers & Estrangees
  • On Baggage
  • Privacy Policy
Menu

How do you know if you’re getting better?

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Ginny

When does recovery occur? When do you get over a serious loss?

Some things you never "get over" but you can heal. It is possible for life to go on. You know you're getting better when you make better choices. As described in the poem below.

The poem is from There's a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery by Portia Nelson.

Hole_in_street2

Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters

by Portia Nelson

Chapter I

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost … I am helpless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter II

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter III

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it's a habit … but,
my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter IV

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter V

I walk down another street.

Category: For Adult Kids, For Parents, Therapeutic

Post navigation

← Guest Post: Life As We Know It Now
Family estrangement in photographs →
©2026 Estrangements Blog

Powered by
...
►
Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.
None
►
Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.
None
►
Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
None
►
Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
None
►
Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
None
Powered by