Feeling Blah!

As wonderful as the Christmas season can be, it presents challenges that can be quite difficult for a few. It is a time of year for family and joy that not all of us have....... but then again, perhaps if we could really sit back and enjoy the value and sense of "family and joy", the holidays may prove a little less stressful. I mean, maybe things would be much easier and we'd all sense a little more happiness if we took the words of Dr. Seuss, "Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store." and really went with it.

But it is not just the onslaught of Christmas songs on the radio, the chaos in the malls, the pressure of present giving, family visits, the parties, the food, the decorations. It is the cold and harsh weather. The cloud cover and lack of sun. The tension of driving, or trying to move anywhere, through snow, wind and sleet. The shoveling. Trying to stay warm. Trying to do things for yourself when you can't help worrying or thinking about others. It is tiring and it is lonely and it can give one a feeling of being lost.

I had the most wonderful three days over Christmas with my family, but is over; and right now, as I write this, I am tired. I look out the window and I get lost; not in thought, in nothingness. I feel alone but not alone.... if that makes sense. As much as I want to be by myself right now I want to be with my loved ones again. I see the flying snow outside and I absolutely dread having to go out and shovel, but part of me knows I'll enjoy doing it and getting the cold fresh air. There are times when I even think that the falling snow is one of the most beautiful things this world offers. That is how my injured brain works......(not that everyone with a brain injury feels these things) and the awkward thoughts and feelings are there all year through, but seem to intensify during the wintery months.

And I write in this blog because it helps me understand me. Writing has become a bit of a coping mechanism to get through. It allows me to be expressive in ways I don't know how to be in any other form. I write in this blog so maybe people might get a chance to understand. I write to maybe help others who feel similar things but feel like they have no means of expressing it.

I think one of the hardest things about feeling these kind of...... blahs, this depression, is expressing it. I don't mean just finding the words, but actually saying or writing it. The feedback from others can a little overwhelming or not needed..

"I thought you were happy? Where you lying?" That's what they might say. And how do you answer that? That day I was happy. Most days I am happy. But sometimes I'm not, and it is not that I'm sad, I'm just..... blah. And the change can be a frequent occurrence.

Blah can mean a few different things, but according to the online Urban dictionary Blah is:

a word commonly used to describe an emotional state in which the person feels a sense of having no hope; usually during a deep depression. 

Those who feel depression and mood swings I'm sure feel them all on different levels. These periods can stretch themselves out over time or can be over within mere hours. And we all have different coping mechanisms. The challenge within us is a struggle, but the challenge that can come from others, the misunderstanding and all that, can be just as hard.... because it brings on guilt. I'm sorry if you cannot understand that I can be happy and function normally and feel Blah at the same time; but I can. Just because I feel lonely on certain days does not mean I think I am alone in life or that meeting new people will solve my problem. Just because I say I feel lost and out of control does not mean I have gone insane.

Let it be. Try to understand that happiness and depression can sometimes come from the same place and it can be okay.  Because the brightest things can come from the darkest places. Life's beauty isn't completely lost in those moments of blurriness.

I absolutely love my family. I cherish my friends. I enjoy my work. Through all of these things I try to be a good person and live an uplifting life and share that with others. But I still get hit with depression, I still get tired, I still get the Blahs. But I am still me, and it is all okay.

A Belief

I don't like the fact that time seems to pass as quickly as it does. I mean, I feel like we are missing something. I think I know what it is, but I have a hard time explaining it; though I will try.

The joy of this current wonderful Christmas season should spread itself throughout the year; unfortunately, it does not. And sometimes, for many it may seem, the joy of this season is minimal at best. But celebrating during this festive season is important, not only because of the biblical significance, but because it is a time where we get ready to say goodbye to an old year and welcome in a new one.
It is a time to reflect on accomplishments, family and friends. I think maybe even on hard times and tragedies. Because it is a time to clear the air within ourselves, to set new goals and renew our faith for better times. It is a time for hope.
There is always a time for hope.

Perhaps you may think I am being a bit naive when I say that I truly believe in a universal love. But I do still dream of a day when we will all get along and settle peacefully into this world. A time when we will ALL simply realize that certain things are just wrong and unnecessary, and we will unite our hands.

I know full well that cruelty and evil exist. I see it and I feel it. I certainly don't understand it; and I do not think any explanation will ever change that. I cannot grasp these inhumane acts of terror when life can offer us enough hardship as is where we have no control. It breaks my heart to know of all the sadness and death in the world; that there are people who simply seem chose to live life by way of cheating, lying, stealing and hurting people.

But, there are others. Individuals who lend a helping hand, who promote fairness and share goodwill. I've witnessed strangers exchange kindness and I've seen true beauty. It is here where my faith lies. It may be hard sometimes, granted. But to me, it is a combination of all these things, all the gentle souls and kind little differences, that make the difference.
My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are touched by tragic events; to anyone suffering loss or going through hardships. But I will always, strain if needed, see the glass half full so to speak. To me, there is no other way.

I believe in humanity.
I believe in kindness and love, grace and virtue.
I believe in strength and courage and perseverance.
That is what I think we might be missing. That the light really does outshine the darkness.
I believe it.
Because I believe in you!