Virginia Is For Families

Winter can be bleak and those who are susceptible to depression can find themselves going over the edge this time of year.  Factors that are often mentioned are the lack of light and holiday expectations.  People are confronted with childhood memories as they gather with their families.  They have a chance to reflect on their lives.  And there is a lot of flu and other sickness going around this time of year.

All of these things can contribute to an attack of depression.  The warning sign I notice is the feeling that it is too difficult to do the most basic kinds of things.   Going to the store is a major task.  Boxing up a return item from Christmas is beyond my capacity.  Fortunately I am aware of these things and know how to take measures to combat this illness.   It’s really not very difficult to avert a major attack when life is going along in a fairly normal fashion.

There is medication but there are also other avenues to take that will help when there is less light outside and a dark shadow trying to creep into the soul.

I cannot say enough about the joy of taking photos with a camera that is capable of capturing the essence of a subject or scene. If there is not much light and color available in the back yard we can at least find it in the photos we have taken in the past year.

There are also photos that will bring back wonderful memories. There are photos that have brought notice and wonderful comments. And there are photos that simply remind us that this world can be a beautiful place in its finer moments.

Getting up early in the morning when all is still quiet and looking for something new in the photo gallery is an excellent way to start the day. I often will find something that has been overlooked and post it to Flickr. Then if someone finds it interesting I will post it here and add some words and/or music. In this way I often have a better idea if a WP post is going to be successful before it is published. ( Listening to inspirational music of one sort or another and finding a connection with a photo has been a recent exercise that adds to this experience).

Photography is one way (out of many no doubt) to combat sadness and depression.  And  there are other things to do that are helpful.  Drinking alcohol is not a healthy thing and many of us need to stay far away from it.  Taking walks and breathing in some cold, fresh air can be very helpful.  And learning to express our frustrations  instead of allowing them to just sit inside and grow mold can bring about a very positive change.

Of course this needs to be done in a constructive way.  And some sources of frustration are not going to go away anytime soon.   But voicing them and having someone who will  listen and appreciate our struggles while offering encouragement is better than all the Christmas presents in the world.

Beth does this for me and I love her for it.  We have just spent our tenth Christmas together and while it wasn’t much fun being sick it was a joy to be around someone who is a powerful source of health and well being.

We do this for each other and I hope that you have someone who does it for you.   In a world that seems so concerned about physical fulfillment of one sort or another not much is said about the emotional support that couples can offer each other.    But it really is more important and young couples often need it desperately as they try to build lives together.

All of this comes to mind as  I close the door on a challenging illness and start looking  forward to a fresh start and a new year.  Set goals for yourself and expect some defeats as well as some victories  along the way.  If you are lonely and/or  depressed discover and deal with the sources of both.

You can do it.   There is an infinite well of healing power within you.  Allow yourself to be open to it.   Drown your sorrows in it and drink from it every day.  Fight back.

Never surrender to the darkness.

George Harrison

Play Wah Wah

03-wah-wah

Wah-wah
Youve given me a wah-wah
And Im thinking of you
And all the things that we used to do
Wah-wah, wah-wah

Wah-wah
You made me such a big star
Being there at the right time
Cheaper than a dime
Wah-wah, youve given me your wah-wah, wah-wah

Oh, you dont see me crying
Oh, you dont hear me sighing

Wah-wah
I dont need no wah-wah
And I know how sweet life can be
If I keep myself free from the wah-wah
I dont need no wah-wah

Oh, you dont see me crying
Hey baby, you dont hear me sighing
Oh, no no-no no

Wah-wah
Now I dont need no wah-wahs
And I know how sweet life can be
If I keep myself free – of wah-wah
I dont need no wah-wah

This video has a lot of things going for it.  And I am on top of it.

Probably because I decided to take a walk and not watch football.  But, in any case, back to the video.  It has:

Beautiful video of animals

Awesome music with Sarah Brightman

And African women singing in the chorus.

I am in heaven.  You might enjoy it too.  Please let me know if it goes away.

There’s a very basic difference between a television and a computer screen.   The latter allows you to interact.  It  challenges you to think and possibly even to create something.  It can make you a more creative person if you let it.  And it involves you with the entire world!

You can communicate with people all over this creation.

Isn’t this amazing?   How can television compare with this?

Deliver me back to nature.

Deliver me from my passive nature and my television.

But I’m still not sure I can pass up the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

All my animal friends were over for a party last night and they wanted to play some music.  Then they wanted to make a video.

What can you do?

, originally uploaded by Davidlind.

This may be a long term relationship. We went back to the beach after a week that included a few showers and here is what we saw.

Still in love.

Sigh.

When you’re in love you never really know whether your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love, or if it attributes them to her; whether the light which surrounds her like a halo comes from you, from her, or from the meeting of your sparks. ~Natalie
Clifford Barney

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He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began. ~Leo Tolstoy

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How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said. ~Victor Hugo

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