Dear Bobby,
I think that we do not have to push ourselves.
We can do whatever we want and then tell ourselves that that way is the best.
I was pushed by my parents.

So not pushing and allowing myself to go by how I feel makes me feel like I am pampering myself. For a long time I felt guilty. Now it feels right -- to go with my feelings.
I take a certain pride in it (sounds weird -- maybe kind of rebelling).
And bipolar kind of forces us to go with our feelings.
My tdoc is great about this. She encourages me to do what I can when I want and to be realistic about expectations.
Then I am supposed to feel good that I did a good job -- a good job of following my feelings.

I've never raised children. But in my mind a happy child has her feelings and needs met. That's what my tdoc encourages me to do
(tdoc does not use the child word when she says this).

M.