Grace in Small Things, Day 1

A week or so ago, Schmutzie started a year of posts called "Grace In Small Things".

"Every day for 365 days, I will post a list of five things that have graced my life, either on that day or at any time in my life. Feel free to join me. Or mock me. Or, you know, do whatever's in your heart. You can start on whatever day you want, so if you come across this six months from now, don't let that hold you back."

I am going to join Schmutzie and post (or attempt to post) "Grace In Small Things" every day for a year. And like Schmutzie, this holiday time of year seems like a real fine place to start. Last year I skipped Christmas. I was recovering from surgery, had two Responses to Motions for Summary Judgment due for two very complicated cases, had a week of no electricity due to an ice storm and was in the midst of CRAZY although I didn't know it at the time. I just remember thinking, "Christmas sucks and I'm not participating and I hate everybody." I continued hating everyone until about July. I stepped away from law for a while, regained my health and sanity and fell in love with my fella all over again. There are so many good things in life. And depression has absolutely nothing to do with those good things. When you are so buried in the blue, it just doesn't matter that you have a indoor toilet and people who love you. But when you emerge from the blue, many of those good things seem so much sweeter. I'm going to try to document all those good little things this year. There are still bad days (in spite of excellent pharmaceuticals and therapy) but there are definitely more good days. I want these posts to remind of those little good things and to remind me how far I've come in the last year. Wish me luck. And thank you Schmutzie for sharing this project.

And to kick things off:

1. Lexapro and a fantastic doctor who got it right.
2. Trazadone and kudos to same doctor.
3. Ambien, see above. (sleep is SO important to your mental health)
4. Starbucks, Grande skinny peppermint mocha with whip.
5. I ran into an old friend today and shared the fact that I have The Depression and did not feel the least bit self-conscious about it.