Inside - Seminole Tribe of Florida

The Seminole Tribune 12 April 7, 2006Dear Counselor,I am a 19year old young ladywith a broken heartand I am totally confused.When I was18 I met a man fiveyears older than Iam. I told him that Iwas a year olderthan I was hoping itwould make himlike me more.I becameintimate with him onour second date andfound out a fewweeks later that hewas intimate with afew other girls.Even though I havea boyfriend I havebeen with for almost four years, I washeartbroken; not because I was fed a tasteof my own medicine, but because I wasactually in love with this guy.I had experienced feelings for himin a few weeks that I had never experiencedwith my boyfriend in the four years.My boyfriend and I are no longer togetherbecause he became suspicious of mybehavior and broke off therelationship. I spendmy every wakingmoments thinkingabout thisman. I amafraid to tellhim that I amactually oneyear youngerthan he thinksbecause it mightpush him awaycompletely.I stay angryat him because he isstill intimate with othergirls. I truly love him anddon’t know what to do. Pleasehelp me.Signed,ConfusedDear Confused,Your letter leaves me confusedabout what is confusing you. Are youconfused about the fact that you think theolder guy won’t continue to exploit youand use you if he knows you are a yearyounger than he thinks? Or because hecontinues to sleep with other girls despitethe fact that you have given him yourheart and your body? Or perhaps you areconfused because you lost your boyfriendfor a manipulator that is interested inAsk The Counseloryour body and notyour heart?Believe me,you do not yet knowwhat love is, andyou certainly don’tknow heartbreak. Ifyou continue tosleep with this guyand lose focus ofyour self-respectand dignity, you willknow heartbreak upclose and personal.What if youget pregnant by thisplayer? What if youget a sexually transmitteddisease? Andthat’s a good possibilityconsideringthat he sleepsaround. Clear your head and start yourjourney on the road in taking care ofyourself.This man does not deserve you,and you certainly deserve better.Confused, let me share something withyou; girls look to their father to showthem what men value in awoman. If a youngwomen’s fatherrejects her, shewill seek aman to meetthe unfulfilledneeds. If herfather is warmand nurturing,she will lookfor a lover toequal him.If afather thinks hisdaughter is beautifuland feminine,she will be inclined tosee herself that way.However, if he rejectsher as unattractive, she islikely to carry self-imageproblems into adulthood.A woman’s relationshipwith herself and her relationshipwith the men in her life is greatlyinfluenced by the relationship she haswith her father. Confused, the bottom lineis fathers make a significant difference inthe lives of their daughters, in the lives oftheir children.As a counselor every young girlthat I have counseled, who gave up ontheir hopes, their dreams and their future,first gave up on their father.Signed,CounselorDon’t Forget AboutYour Feet!Submitted by the Seminole Health DepartmentAnyone concerned with staying healthy knows they need tomake healthy food choices, get regular exercise and regular medicalcheck ups. For people with diabetes, staying healthy requires a littlemore.Diabetics must monitor their blood sugar, take their medicationsproperly and be aware of other health problems that maydevelop. Diabetics also need to be more aware of the health of theirfeet. High blood sugar can cause damage to the feet. Loss of feelingand poor blood flow to the legs and feet, caused by high bloodsugar, can lead to other injuries and infections.Luckily, by controlling blood sugar and by followingthese helpful tips anyone can keep their feet happy and healthy.For more information about proper foot care please contact yourreservation’s health educator.Healthy Foot Check Listo Check your feet daily for changes or injuries: Make sure tocheck in between your toes. Ask a family member to help ifyou have poor eyesight.o Check your feet for blisters, cuts, scratches, red or blackspots, ingrown toenails and dryness.o Wash feet daily in warm water, not hot, using a mildsoap. Make sure to apply lotion after you have dried yourfeet thoroughly and remove any excess lotion frombetween the toes.o File or cut your toenails straight acrosso Have any corns, calluses or ingrown toenailsremoved by your health care provider.o Wear clean, dry, cotton socks everyday. All socksshould fit loosely.Always wear your shoes, indoors and outdoors.o Shoes should fit loosely, correctly and comfortably.Have your foot doctor check your shoes to seeif they fit properly.o Be aware of how you sit; crossing your legs canrestrict blood circulation to your feet.o When going for a pedicure, check to see if yoursalon is experienced working with diabetic patients.o Report all changes and injuries to your doctorimmediately.