I work as a therapist, and so there is often a need for tissues. I share my rented room with other therapists, and we all bring our own tissue box which we keep in the cupboard between our sessions.

When I wanted to blow my nose the other day, I found my hand reaching automatically into SOMEONE ELSE’S box of tissues.

This immediately reminded me of a story Robert Bly tells about himself in his wonderful ‘A Little Book on the Human Shadow’. He’s being interviewed by William Booth.

Let me give you one more answer to the question, ‘How do I know I have a shadow?’ The other day I was making coffee for Ruth (his wife) and myself. I put a spoon and a half of ground coffee in her filter and the same in mine. Then something inside me reached back and took another half spoonful for mine. It wasn’t me – I didn’t do it. I just noticed it happen.

I love that he admitted to this. I might talk more about the rest of this book another day – and how we should all aspire to eating our shadows – but for today I’m just going to acknowledge that part of me that feels I can’t afford to use my own tissues.