Spring has finally arrived like a snail crossing the highway. There have been quite a few near misses, a casualty or two, some serious setbacks, and weeks where I never thought it would make the journey across at all. Fortunately, the snail persevered and I'm typing this on my balcony with comfortable 70°F weather and a cool breeze. Life is good.
Unfortunately, I have Depression and life is not always so good. The black mood settles in like a stain and can often require serious scrubbing to remove it. Depression can be treated without medications, but sometimes it requires a lot of work. Then there are days like last Thursday.
I woke up and could tell immediately that I was feeling far too down for the morning, so I thought through my set of coping skills and decided to take a walk. The sun was up, but not too hot. There was a breeze, but not too hard. I had things to do, but not at that moment. It was a perfect Goldilocks opportunity, so I took it.
I'll allow the photos I'm posting to tell the rest of the story. I am just relieved that I have good weather finally, and very glad that a brisk walk in the morning sun could lift my spirits so effectively. I realize that not all of my readers have access to sun dappled fields of desert greens and flora, but there is usually nature to be appreciated even in the most concrete of environments. I'll make it a goal next time to seek out urban beauty. I find the presence of green amidst the concrete usually very affirming. Nature struggles to fight the encroachment of development the way I want to struggle to fight the encroachment of Depression. And just like Spring pushing back Winter, I usually succeed in the end.
~Dˢ
