Depression Getaway with Wendy Love

As I wrote this, before leaving for the south, it was a beautiful winter morning in the small town in Ontario where I live. We have had a fresh snow fall and it is still snowing lightly. It is clean, magical and begged me to take one of my longer walks.  If you have walked in the snow you know it is not a quiet experience. Your feet make a crunching sound each time they hit the ground, and as your arms swing across your winter attire there is usually a swishing sound as well. Since I love the rhythm of my walking, and enjoy the way my mind works while I walk, I sometimes forget to stop occasionally and look around at the beautiful scenery.

My husband and I head south today. We spend three months in Myrtle Beach, living on the ocean. It is wonderful and we love it. This will our tenth year and we love it more every time. We have made friends there. Sometimes family members come to visit. It is home for a little while. Sounds wonderful right? Well, it is wonderful except for one thing - getting me there!

 When you think of depression, the words 'comfort' or 'joy' do not come to mind right? I mean 'COMFORT'? Really? Absolutely no! Depression is not comfortable, it is quite the opposite - uncomfortable! And 'JOY'? Well 'joy' and 'depression' are not even distant cousins.

The Lights of Christmas - isn't that absolutely gorgeous? I think it might be a painting, it doesn't even look real. What do you think? We like to take at least one special drive at Christmas time to enjoy the lights. Some places have lights worth driving to. We have our favourites! Just what is it about light and lights that draws each of us?

I'll bet you were wondering about my perfect marriage, right? I mean how can someone with a complicated mental illness have a perfect marriage? Doesn't the havoc of mental instability destroy relationships?

I love Hallmark Christmas Movies. The scenery is lovely, the decorating for christmas is over the top (and in my favourite colour red), the people are beautiful and you can be guaranteed of a happy ending. They are the perfect escape from reality. I know, I know - they are hardly literary winners, the script is usually weak and the plots are simple. You always know how it will end, you just don't know exactly how they will get there. But that's what I love about it, simple. It is not challenging to watch, just visually enjoyable and usually heartwarming, what's wrong with that?