Saturday

Oh Depression, You Auld Acquaintance You...

Oh how I love this photo.  Taken on a trip to Copenhagen, in the cemetery where my grandmother's two cousins (whom I'd never gotten to meet) lie.

2013 was a pretty good year for me...it was the first year, in quite a few, I was kind of sad to say goodbye to.  It  definitely had its ups (our marriage is the strongest it's been in years, our children are doing well, I was given a promotion/raise, the Mister has made GREAT strides in conquering his depression) and, as all years do, its downs (my father in law died very unexpectedly, leaving his wife of nearly 58 years, 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 2 great  grandchildren reeling from the shock of having him die while undergoing "routine procedure").  And that, as we all know it, is life.  The ups and downs are absolutely out of our control, we can only control our response to them.  When life hands you lemons...chuck 'em through your enemy's window.  Or make a meringue and share it with your friends. See there?  The choice is yours!

The Mister's been doing amazingly well with the challenges of fighting a long term, serious clinical depression.  It seems, after  being prescribed every pharmaceutical in the book, undergoing ECT treatments which have permanently damaged his memory, seeing a  very suspect therapist and to add insult to injury having his wife flake out on him, he's taking back some of the happiness he so deserves. He's seeing two excellent  therapists, a  very astute and competent psychiatrist and has seemingly, at long last,  found the magic bullet which has mightily diminished the depression and given him some  feeling, some happiness,  some laughter, some connection to the world back.   I hope, oh how I hope, that his recovery continues...it's definitely not just the person dealing with mental health issues who suffers, their partners and families suffer mightily as well.  Depression, particularly treatment resistant depression, is a monster.  A monster with a seemingly bottomless reserve of focus and energy all targeted at the person it is inhabiting!  It is a joy killing, marriage wrecking, family harming nightmare.  Yet we're finally seeing some light at the end of what's been a long, long  tunnel.  *(If this post reaches anyone struggling with depression, feel free to contact me.  We are an open book with the struggle  this has been and will willingly offer any support we can to anyone who may need it.)

Oh, 2014, please be as  kind or kinder than  2013 was to us! My wish, upon the beautiful supermoon smiling in the sky tonight,  for everyone is to live a 2014 overflowing with health, happiness, kindness, friendship, family and love.  xoxo