Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road. Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road...........

Dorothy's path is well mapped visually for her and one would think the journey's end was guaranteed, but no one could predict poppies, humbugs, and of course winged monkeys.

Often when people hit a roadblock or detour, we as onlookers throw up our hands because the solution is so obvious. What we don't take into consideration is the emotional support that is required to successfully stay the course. Dorothy, having left her family behind in Kansas, might have traveled solo were it not for the new family she created along the way. Often in the face of disaster natural or otherwise, we are confronted with the realization that we don't have supportive or perfect families. Times of hardship can make make this personal deficit glaringly clear and add to that sense of emotional disarray we encounter. Often too, supportive family members exist but may not be available for what ever reason. In either instance,people can, as Dorothy did, create new "family" by finding support in those around them. The Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion were not perfect by any means but they offered support as best they could to help Dorothy realize her dream of home. This new family did not speak a language of loss or blame, but rather one of hope and encouragement. This language fueled the journey forward when the going got tough. Often people mistake the langauge of mutual hurt as an indication of real connection and it may be sufficient to draw people together, but until the language takes on a supportive tone that promotes moving in a forward direction, it is a hindrance not a help. Interestingly enough, when the language spoken in any family, genuine or created -as- needed, is one of hope and support everyone benefits from the association. Families of disfunction whose hallmark is this blame and loss based language seldom enjoy any benefit from drawing close when they face tough times.