Categories
Faith Motherhood and Parenting

Parenting My Kids to Depend on God Not Me

My five-year-old daughter begins kindergarten this month. This means my cautious, anxiety-prone, oldest child starts a new adventure in a new school building with new friends and a new teacher. For the first time, she’ll be away from her little sister and away from me for six hours a day, five days a week. She […]

Categories
Faith Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Grief and Mental Health

How I Found My Mother in the Mirror: A Legacy of Depression

My mother left behind a legacy of depression. I inherited her struggles with mental health. I remember standing outside my mother’s walk-in closet, listening to her sob for what felt like an eternity, on multiple occasions during elementary school. My mother taught me to hide pain and tears behind closed doors. How I found my […]

Categories
Faith Motherhood and Parenting

Choosing Joy: 10 Ways to Bring Sunshine to Your Soul

I have struggled with depression, anxiety and even panic attacks since adolescence. Some of this has been hormonal, some has been situational.  My mental health affects my physical health, zapping my energy, my appetite and my immune system, and I end up plagued by weight loss, frequent illness and chronic sinusitis. And, inevitably, it affects my marriage and my […]