In uncertain times, it is important to remember all the good things,
and count the blessings you have.
Tag: hope
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When Will It End?
It will not end until we stand up and say
“NO MORE.”
Check out this article by Charles French.
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WHEN GRAY SURROUNDS A WEARY HEART: A #HoldOnToTheLight Post
WHEN GRAY SURROUNDS A WEARY HEARTTired despite hours of sleep, my head sinks into the pillow
Morning’s light gives no warmth or peace with its rays
Only clouds of pointless dust in an indifferent world
Rising is pointless when you’re numb to everything
Except the smothering weight that presses down
To choke what little light remains
Nothing can pierce the shroud
No reason to continue
To struggle forward
To breathe
Live
A touch
Warm and furry
persistent in its desire
Wakes me from the dark
Pulls me back into the light
To struggle onward out of the gray
Depression; unhappiness; despair; sadness; downheartedness; misery; hopelessness; melancholy; dejection; gloominess; despondency; gloom; cheerlessness; joylessness; glumness; – They all mean the same thing.
More than 15 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with depression. Because of social stigma, many do not seek treatment or won’t admit they have a problem. Depression is more than feeling a little sad. It’s an all over gray feeling that won’t go away. Have you ever started crying for no apparent reason and couldn’t stop? Depression sucks the joy out of everything, but it doesn’t need to. The hardest thing is admitting to yourself that you are depressed. Talk to someone, I did and it made a world of difference. I resisted for a long time. I wish I hadn’t. If one form of treatment doesn’t help, try another. Remember, you are not alone. Keep holding onto the light.
About the campaign:
#HoldOnToTheLight is a blog campaign encompassing blog posts by fantasy and science fiction authors around the world in an effort to raise awareness around treatment for depression, suicide prevention, domestic violence intervention, PTSD initiatives, bullying prevention and other mental health-related issues. We believe fandom should be supportive, welcoming and inclusive, in the long tradition of fandom taking care of its own. We encourage readers and fans to seek the help they or their loved ones need without shame or embarrassment.
Please consider donating to or volunteering for organizations dedicated to treatment and prevention such as: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope for the Warriors (PTSD), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Canadian Mental Health Association, MIND (UK), SANE (UK), BeyondBlue (Australia), To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
To find out more about #HoldOnToTheLight, find a list of participating authors and blog posts, or reach a media contact, go to http://www.HoldOnToTheLight.com and join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WeHoldOnToTheLight
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OUT OF DARKNESS
Even the darkest night
Is only a few steps away
From dawn’s light
And the warmth of the sun
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HOPE
Voices jabber around me like crows, spitting harsh, cold words. They battle over differences, snubbing those who are not the same.
Invisible, I walk among them, whispering brotherhood. Lift one up, steady another. Silent, unseen, I plant compassion
A spark of truth births understanding. Only to be beaten down by those who refuse to accept. Even the flame of truth can’t survive a tsunami of ignorance and hate.
I take a deep breath, then move through them again. I cannot cease. I will not, until the squalls and misunderstandings are resolved. Until all the world sings together.
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PORTAL
Papa?”
Davis looked at the child. Her pale face smiled as she lay in the hospital bed. Dark smudges surrounded her eyes, eyes bereft of lashes. Tubes and wires stretched from her to the bank of monitors that bleeped, dripped, and ticked. Each sound a symbol of what life had become. His baby girl, barely starting life only to have it cruelly yanked away.
Eyes clamped shut; he sucked air through a constricted throat. He couldn’t watch anymore; couldn’t bear any more pain. The doorway shimmered behind him. He’d turned away from it during the war and when his wife died. Living through life’s adversities was the best teacher, but what was there to learn from watching a death like this? One step through the portal and this experience would be left behind. He could escape the grief. But if he passed it by again would it return?
“Where’s that door go, Papa?”
His eyes sprang open. If she could see it her life was at a brink, teetering; waiting for her choice. It meant she was like him in more ways than he thought.
“It leads away, Ariel, around the pain. But it makes you forget who you were.”
She pursed her lips a moment, thinking. “I think I’d rather stay here.”
He stroked her skeletal hand. The taut, yellowed skin felt dry. So frail, so young. All he had left. He couldn’t leave her. Every second was worth the pain. Maybe this treatment would be the cure….
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Dragonfly Arts Magazine: Reflections on Life, Love, Trauma and Hope
Dragonfly Arts Magazine: Reflections on Life, Love, Trauma and Hope was recently published by Hope Works. Hope Works is dedicated to eliminating sexual and domestic violence in Howard County, Maryland. This insightful collection of poetry and art touches not only on the many aspects of abuse, but on renewal and healing as well. Dragonfly Arts Magazine was made possible by the Howard County Arts Council through a grant from Howard County Government.
