Well, I’m thinking I had the norovirus last week. Took a full week to get over the nausea, even after getting IV fluids and meds in the ER after four days of vomiting, nausea and dehydration. So here I am, home for less than a week before taking off for my February writing retreat at the beach, and wishing I had more energy for everything I need to do. My only consolation is that I’ve been doing some reading while I’m resting up a bit. And I found a few jewels to share with you for Mental Health Monday.
First up is a blog post by my Memphis writing friend, Ellen Morris Prewitt: “My New Definition of Worthwhile.” Short post and definitely worth the read. Take home quote:
“Nothing is really worthwhile unless it is a totally extravagant, unjustifiable expression of the spirit that no one will understand except your tribe.”
Take that and apply as needed.
Moving on to another blog post another writing friend, Keetha Mosley, shared with me over the weekend: “On depression as addiction” by Adam Purple. Adam’s also a writer, and I hope to see his historical fiction novel published soon! Adam talks about how being on medication for depression causes him to experience a degree of loss of his creative edge:
“During the first years of anti-depressants, I felt remarkably better, much more stable, capable, and confident. I also felt an intense frustration, for I had lost a significant part of my emotional repertoire…. Because now, even a decade later, I miss that part of me that I can’t quite touch anymore. And that in itself, is sad.”
Read his post for more of his gutsy wisdom.
And finally, I got an email this morning from a precious Goddaughter who lives in another state. She wanted to tell me about a book her husband was reading, that she picked up and thought I might be interested in. It’s this:
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown.
Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past twelve years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Her groundbreaking research has been featured on PBS, NPR, CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. I just ordered the book to take with me to the beach. I’m sure I’ll be blogging about it eventually.
Hope some of these resources resonate with you. I always loving hearing your comments, and thanks so much for reading!