Sunflowers… I remember taking this picture, ages ago, with what was probably my very first digital camera. Digital photography was new and exciting for me, and I was perhaps simply thinking they’d make a pretty picture.
Thinking about it now – maybe I also wanted to preserve a little bit of “sunshine” for a rainy day…
I am familiar with these “rainy days” – figuratively speaking. I don’t even remember when they started, but they’ve been with me for a very long time. Sometimes the rain is like a very fine spray that you hardly notice. Sometimes the falling waters seem to drench you to the bone.
But there are sunny days, too, and though the sun might often be hiding behind clouds, I know it’s still there. I have to keep reminding myself though, and maybe a sunflower picture can serve as a little visual help.
I am thinking of you, sisters and brothers and fellows.
I am sending my love out to you.
You are not alone.
There is help available, and admitting that you might need it is a sign of strength, not of weakness. YOU. ARE. STRONG.
~ ~ ~
The following is copied out from a comment I left a while ago for somebody on Facebook, a fellow blogger with apparent depression. I don’t know them personally, but I had wanted to reach out and show some love and support, and possible sources of a little comfort.
For what it’s worth, I’d like to share it with you:
“(…) Take one day at a time, and then another one, and another one…
I collect all kinds of links and articles and resources for when my depression strikes me particularly hard – contacts, pieces of advice, links etc. Some of it might sound banal, but sometimes even the most banal, little things can have a good impact.
For example, do you know/use ASMR? I use it for relaxation, or sometimes simply self-care. They make a lot of these videos on Youtube, are meant for relaxation, and you can close your eyes and simply listen. They are supposed to send gentle “tingles” (in a NON-erotic way) down your spine. Here are some of my favorite ones:
— PAMPERING BEDTIME ASMR soft spoken ROLE PLAY: Tucking you in, hair brushing & story *3D* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEQbh2pdC4E
— Tender Love and Care: a Pampering ASMR session https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL9C5_7xoGY
— Relaxing Hair Brushing, Scalp Massage, Oils & Hair Play ASMR/Trinaural (WhispersRed ASMR) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pRZaEP8pTo
Also, there are possibilities where you can reach out to (online, phone etc.) – many of those in my list are for the US, but some are available online:
— https://themighty.com/2017/08/affordable-online-therapy-cheap/
— https://greatist.com/grow/resources-when-you-can-not-afford-therapy
And these are some articles I sometimes turn to, and sometimes find a little something, even one single morsel of good advice that I can hold onto:
— https://www.upworthy.com/101-self-care-suggestions-for-when-it-all-feels-like-too-much
(…)
I hope you don’t mind my sharing all of these, and maybe there’s just a little something in there for you to help you through the day. I am thinking of you!”
susa(nne) wagner 