Stand Tall and Look Up

ISN'T IT A BLESSING??? DEPRESSION         It's a word that hangs in the air like smog. It slowly suffocates the one who lives in it's haze and sends   fear   to surround those who watch. But today I have to ask, "Why do we give our power and our joy away so easily."         Many years ago, I was talking with my dad. He, like many in our family (including myself) have battled depression. Once, a friend told him, "Isn't it a blessing that you can feel ALL of your emotions?"   ISN'T IT A BLESSING???       Indeed, living life fully means we will experience a wide variety of emotions. When we truly love another person, that relationship will bring an intensity of joy and, at times,  seemingly unbearable sadness; moments of anger and moments of heart-warming compassion. These emotions are what move us from a simple existence to a meaningful life.       We give power to depression when we feed it with attention, worry, and hopelessn

     When life gets hard and sends you down an unexpected road, it is easy to slip into a "Why me?" self pity type of thinking. It's easy to think of all the things you don't have or all the things you can't do. It takes consistent effort to think, instead, of what you have and what you can do. In my life, I have found consistent strength in the phrase, "I am lovable and capable." This phrase changes the focus from discouragement to capacity. Things may not happen the way I planned but I am still capable of creating something out of what I have been given. I can choose to stand tall regardless of the situation.      This past week I was visiting with a man whose wife had a stroke similar to Mike's. I have spoken with him a few times and every time he tells me all the things his wife cannot do. He tells me how she is not strong enough and how discouraged she gets. At first I listened and could definitely relate. Now I am realizing that I am not doin