-
What does depression (and anxiety) look like?
Most commercials for antidepressants show people in despair, lying on a couch crying or dressed in baggy clothing with unkempt hair. Is that what depression looks like? Yes. Sometimes. But often, depression can look like a person who has their shit together. A career woman who gets things done. A soccer mom with perfect hair and perfect kids. A lawyer. A doctor. A musician. An artist. A movie star. A writer. Me. Anxiety medication ads often depict a person having a panic attack, complete with hyperventilating, rapid heartbeat and sweating. So that’s what anxiety looks like, right? Sure. Sometimes. It also can look like standoffishness. Indifference. Disengagement. Irritability. Forgetfulness. Me.
-
One Night in a Coffeehouse
“One Night in a Coffeehouse” Free-Verse, March 20, 2017 He sings in the near-empty coffeehouse About alcohol addiction and love. He thinks no one in the lackluster crowd is listening. Two employees try their best to acknowledge him, While a college student studies his books, And a lady whose whole life is a musical hums her own tune. Annoyed by the six laughing ladies in their bible study group, He changes his line-up to include All songs he knows that take the Lord’s name in vain. The ladies talk over the too-loud guitar music, Determined to finish their lesson, While he plays louder and louder to drown out the noise. The…
-
My husband: the best example of a good father
My husband, Jonathan, is a wonderful father. Just like I knew he would be. I had witnessed firsthand his relationships with his four nephews and two nieces while we were dating. In fact, two of them “chaperoned” us on our first date when we took them to see a kiddie movie. I had also seen the relationship Jonathan had with his own father, Dean, who is a great father in his own right. We had the kid conversation early in our relationship and were both in agreement that we wanted at least one, but preferably two. Jonathan didn’t care if we had boys, girls or one of each. I always…
