help for depression- in the face of suffering

My mother is out of the hospital but she is not out of the woods. I think of how important it is to be present with those we love- never forgetting to acknowledge our love, our empathy... and be present with our suffering when we see our loved one suffer because it is a fact of life. Suffering is part of life but it is not all of life. If we are present each moment, savoring life, savoring all that we have, our friendships, relationships, our health, our ability to get around, our ability to look up to the sky and see the birds, to hear them sing, to see the clouds form and change, to feel the wind against our skin, to close our eyes with gratitude that we are alive... we have this opportunity right now, even if there is sadness, loss, depression, anxiety we can all take a deep breathe .... do this now .... feel your aliveness - it is a true gift we are given- this aliveness, breathe and take it in, our beautiful gift we have been given.

we have an obligation to live-inspite of suffering

My mother has been the hospital for 2 weeks. Because of the consequences of diabetes she had both herleft leg and her right leg amputated. She survives. She choked on food and almost died and she survives. why do we want to live in this world? We often find that our will to live comes from knowing that other people love us and need us.
when we are depressed we forget all that but I am hear to tell you that knowing someone loves you is all you need to get past the most horrible physical and emotional pain in your life. sing the praises of love and be love, act love become love and you will survive.

Be here now!(sound familiar?)help for depression

It is raining today after many days of an almost early summer!
It rains, its sunny, its warm out, its cold... It is our Life! what are you doing this moment(or should I say, after you finish reading this?)Are you stuck in a negative mindset? Are you angry that your life has not turned out the way you imagined? Are you anxious or depressed about your life?
Every moment that you are stuck in the cycle of negative thinking is a moment that is taken out of your Life. When we think negatively we are not present. We are lost in our thoughts. In fact, our thoughts have taken control of us!
So now, in this moment, take a deep breath, breathing slowly in and slowly out. Feel your life breath and feel the power of your aliveness. Now close your eyes and imagine you are in a forest surrounded by trees, birds are singing, the sun is shining and you are safe. Open your eyes and you can be there any time. When you find yourself lost in negative thoughts imagine the forest, breath and refocus on your aliveness.

The sun is out! depression can lift!

Spring is within our sight! When I was out hiking I could feel it in the air. Time moves forward whether we want it to or not. Every moment we can make a choice how to live. When you are depressed or anxious, going through difficult times, it is hard to see or feel you have a choice because of the negative thoughts and sense of hopelessness you may feel.

When you go outside, spend time outside, hiking, walking through trees, listening to birds singing, you can come out of the negative thinking by focusing on the trees, the sky and the sound of the birds. Now I an not saying that taking a hike will lift anxiety or depression. I wish it was as easy as that. But being in nature can certainly take you out of your negative thinking for a short time, give you respite from feeling sad. Once you know you can feel better, even for a short time, you can turn nature regularly to assist you during difficult times. Try it... you may find it helps!

balance

Yesterday the sky was blue and the ferns on the trees where I run and hike had turned a glorious bright green from all the rain. I passed a woman who was accompanied by her very happy dogs. We exchanged hellos and she said,"Just being here could put anyone in a good mood!". I agreed! Balance. Always balance, the difficult things we have to do in life, care for an ill parent, take care of our own mental and physical health- this can be daunting... and then there is the trail in the woods with the wildflowers just blooming purple and red and the bright green ferns growing on the trees...