Starting this blog up again has been on my mind for a while now. I think I've hesitated because I wanted to define exactly what type of blog this is & what topics I would blog about. Well that was blown away yesterday when I was jogging at the gym and some amazing thoughts came to mind. So for my first post in many years I'm going to write about something I hope to not write about too often but feel I need to share: I have depression. The good news is I'm winning. Just because I typed that I have depression, doesn't actually mean I'm depressed right now. In fact, yesterday on the treadmill I felt like I was on top of the world. And I felt like shouting it from the rooftops! I felt more like me than I have over the last 6 months. Why? Mostly because I've been changing one of my medications over the last 2-3 months and I think I found a winner! If you've ever switched antidepressants then you know it's awful! I had such bad withdrawal this time I told my husband he'd have to put me in a medically induced coma next time I need to change meds. My biggest piece of advice for surviving med changes is to taper slowly!!! I was in a hurry to get on the "new stuff". Taper twice as slow as you think you should! And never discontinue any meds without the supervision of a doctor.
So why am I sharing all this? Because if I can help or encourage just one person with depression then bearing my struggles is worth it! If you're struggling with depression, get help. Tell someone. Get on your knees & pray for strength. Then go take a nap. When you wake up, do it all over again. And know that I care. I care about you, whoever you are, who thinks her life is worthless or unimportant. You're wrong, you have worth and you are wanted on this earth.
Okay, done! That's the heavy stuff & I hope to not go there too often. But really a blog about happiness would just be boring if it never talked about its opposite!
On an exciting note: my very 1st American passport came in the mail yesterday!!!!
There I am! Every piece of evidence that says I'm American thrills me! My original family is from South Africa and I was the 1st to get my citizenship almost 3 years ago!!! We're taking the kids on a Disney cruise in March so we needed passports! Yay! I can't wait to fill this little book with stamps and make some amazing memories! The kids passports are cute, but like most Americans, they have no idea how truly awesome they are!!!!
Yup, that's glue oozing out from under my freshly cut vinyl phrase that won't come off the backing tape because cork is like the unstickiest (is that a word? It is now) material in the universe. Sigh. What is it with a simple project that draws it out to take hours instead of the planned 15 minutes! This is why I never finish anything. 
Because I think this is just what my front door needs!
