Thankful

I am thankful today, and every day, for my friends and family.  I could have survived this year; but life is to be lived, not merely survived.  I cannot thank all of you enough for all of the love and support you have given me this year.  You gave me a shoulder to cry upon, gave me big, squishy hugs, dragged my ass out of the house when I didn't want to leave, let me stay in when I really needed to, hatched the evilest of plans (and realized none of us look good in prison orange), fed me a good stiff drink (or three) when I needed it, and most of all, made me laugh my ass off.  Thank you all for the light and laughter you bring to me.

bent not broken

Dreamer of Impossible Dreams

I'm sure most of you who read my blog also read Lori Anderson's Pretty Things blog. The only thing better than her jewelry is her writing.  She is warm, compassionate, and easy to relate to.

I firmly believe in openly and honestly talking about mental health issues, especially depression. Her post today is Where Lao Tzu and I Battle Depression.  It joins this post from Hyperbole and a Half and this post from The Bloggess as my favorite thatisbrilliantdamnIwishIcouldexpressmyselfthateloquently posts about depression.

My favorite line from her post today is: "Ironically, being depressed does NOT mean I'm not enjoying my life - it's just a little harder to."  This sentence sums up how difficult it can be to explain the complexity of depression to people, especially those close to us. Sadly, sometimes we never can, no matter how hard we try.

Do what you love, and do it often.

I am stealing this from Maria's blog. I am a big fan of quotes and other people's words. I think that it is often easy to lose your focus and forget your direction. Also, it can be comforting when you read a quote that you can relate to. It reminds you that you aren't the only one to feel that emotion, to experience that spectacular (or crappy) moment.

An Open Letter, or, Non-Adventures in the Void

To my old friend Depression,

Nice try. No, really, it was. You've always been a sly little bitch that quietly creeps in unnoticed, but the sneak attack of nearly overwhelming apathy was a new one. You slipped in, wrapped me up in gauze and stashed me into the corner of my own mind, lost in the Void. I could still feel emotion, but from a great distance. Passion, happiness, sadness; while not gone, nearly inaccessable. To the casual observer, everything seemed to be fine. I got up, I went to work, I cooked dinner, and I did it every day. But, it all meant nothing. I felt (nearly) nothing. I lost weeks.

But we've danced this dance, in one form or another, for a couple of decades now. You may be able to creep in, but I have learned to creep in, too. I rebuilt the connection from me to me, that which makes me. I've learned over the years that it isn't enough to survive. I enjoy living.

So cue the Gloria Gaynor music. I will survive.

In short, my old friend - Fuck. You.

Today's Quote

Any idiot can face a crisis. It is this day to day living that wears you out.
-- Anton Chekov

Fabulous

"The most important thing, darling, is to live a fabulous life. As long as it is fabulous, I don't care how long it is."
-- Freddie Mercury

Quote of the Day

Fall in love or in hate. Get inspired or be depressed. Ace a test or flunk a class. Make babies or make art. Speak the truth or lie and cheat. Dance on tables or sit in the corner. Life is divine chaos. Embrace it. Forgive yourself. Breathe. And enjoy the ride...

-- Solbeam

Quote of the Day

"If you can't control your peanut butter, how can you expect to control your life?"
-- Calvin & Hobbes

Quote of the Day

"I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."
-- Steel Magnolias