Beating the Blues, on Purpose

Today I beat the blues, unblocked my writing, and generally moved forward in my life.

Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash

Sometimes I think that people who have never suffered depression, haven’t lived life fully. What I mean is that those who have never felt the crush of losing something treasured — or someone special — may have never risked their emotions. The rewards are immense — while the hurt is crushing.

For me, from my perspective, depression/the blues/grief — call it what you like — are all a part of a full-spectrum life lived.

When a loved one is lost to death, or a relationship fractures — a favorite pet — even an idea lost— all of these can trigger a response that lingers a little too long, a kind of darkness that won’t fade. It can be crippling.

And it is rarely straightforward

Several emotional responses prevent my experiencing ‘pure’ grief from my father’s passing earlier this week. We were estranged, I only saw him a handful of times after the age of nine. My memories are dominated by a series of unpleasant encounters with a man who seemed to be more-than-willing to express his aggression on his young son. He used to say that sparing the rod was spoiling the child.