I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that saw mental health as a part of overall health. When I was a freshman in high school, my mom realized that when I said "I didn't feel good" and wanted to stay home from school that my mental health was what needed attention, and… Continue reading My Running for Mental Health Journey
Category: Keeping It Real
Depression
[Trigger warning: depression, suicide, self harm. You are not alone - If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call 1-800-273-8255. Help is available 24/7.] "Being depressed is like being locked in a cage and losing the key. You keep beating yourself up about it, but its not even your fault.… Continue reading Depression
Happy Mother’s Day
Within days of my mom’s death, my social media was flooded with ads for Mother’s Day. It wasn’t long until I realized that the holiday would mark one month since my mom died. In the same way that you always seem to see the make and model of your new car purchase everywhere right after… Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day
April 9, 2021
Trigger warning: substance abuse, alcohol abuse On April 9th, 2021 I was celebrating the retirement of one of my coworkers. Everyone that I was with was drinking alcohol, laughing, and having a great time. I was laughing and having a great time, too, but I wasn't drinking. In fact, I was celebrating 6 months of… Continue reading April 9, 2021
The Longest Year Ends in a Blink of an Eye.
Does anyone else feel like this year simultaneously was the longest year ever and also flew by in the blink of an eye? I think I have asked this question at least 10 times in 2020. Right now it feels like a year that went by fast... a month that went by even faster... a… Continue reading The Longest Year Ends in a Blink of an Eye.
Priorities
I started writing this post on August 24th, and then decided not to post it. In light of recent events, I came to my blog to share. On this platform when you go to write a blog, you can see how many drafts you have. I noticed that I had 7, so I went to… Continue reading Priorities
Grief.
Today marks one month since a childhood friend of mine lost her daughter and her husband in a drunk driving accident. My previous post, "I am so angry" was my reaction to this senseless tragedy. It was me putting my grief into words. A few weeks after I wrote that post, I pulled out my… Continue reading Grief.
I am so angry.
[Trigger warning: depression, alcohol, drunk driving, death, murder, motor vehicle accident.] I have always heard about the stages of grief. I had to look them up to remember what they were: DenialAngerBargainingDepressionAcceptance When I looked these up, I found a more descriptive model with 7 stages and was drawn to elaborate on how I have… Continue reading I am so angry.
Grateful for Octobers
Today starts a new month. While I truly believe that every moment can be a new beginning, there’s something about flipping the calendar page. A fresh start. I try to set goals for myself each month. A lot of times they are health related - “girl, stay hydrated.” Or run all the miles. For the… Continue reading Grateful for Octobers
Today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present.
I deleted my Facebook and Snapchat apps from my phone at the beginning of this month. I don’t miss them at all... well, okay, I kinda miss the silly filters on Snapchat. I definitely don’t miss the feeling of being constantly connected. I haven’t written a blog since the beginning of this month. I have… Continue reading Today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present.
A Change Will Do You Good
In 2015 I set a goal to run one race every month. I did it, although technically my "race" for March was an at home race. (These days, in the times of COVID, we'd call that a "virtual race".) I did it again in 2016, 2017 and 2018. I had a four year streak of… Continue reading A Change Will Do You Good
Somewhere I Belong
This one is a doozy, y’all, so as the famous line in my favorite movie goes: “Hold on to your butts.” I grew up like an only child, even though I’m not. I have a brother and a sister. By the time I came along, though, my brother was in high school and my sister… Continue reading Somewhere I Belong
It’s my birthday!
I love my birthday, and anyone who knows me is nodding their head in agreement right now. It's a running joke at my work that my coworker asks me, "Gosh, when is your birthday again?" or "Hmm, July 29th, nothing special happening that day." This past Christmas she got me a book called "All About… Continue reading It’s my birthday!
Living in a Pandemic
Lessons learned & silver linings. Sometimes it seems like March 11th was another lifetime ago. The reality is that it was a little over 100 days ago, which really isn't long in the grand scheme of things. It feels like a lifetime ago because so much is different now. What used to be normal feels… Continue reading Living in a Pandemic
My Alcohol Free Journey
I have been alcohol free for 60 days. It all started with something called "Dry January". A friend of mine had gone one month alcohol free (or "AF" as she called it) earlier in 2019. She decided to start 2020 off sober and posted on her Facebook asking if anyone was interested in joining and… Continue reading My Alcohol Free Journey
