MARCH 2, 2017 ON THE TRAIN OF LIFE

SHALOM OUT THERE:

AT MY CANCER FORUM WHICH I LEAD EACH MONTH, I HAVE BEEN ASKED HOW TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION.

HOW NORMAL AND EASY IT IS TO ENTER A DEPRESSION, SHORT OR LONG TERM. WE ARE HURTING, PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY. THESE FEELINGS ARE TOTALLY NORMAL.
SO HOW DO WE DEAL WITH IT?

WHY AM I WASTING AWAY MY DAYS BEING DEPRESSED. WILL IT CHANGE THE SITUATION? WILL IT HELP< YET, IT IS A NORMAL FEELING. WHY WAIT FOR BETTER DAYS? ALL OF US KNOW THAT THIS MOMENT, TODAY, NOW, WE ARE ALIVE, YES ACHING, BUT WE ARE HERE! SO WHAT CAN WE DO TODAY TO ENJOY OUR LIFE? TO ENHANCE OUR LIFE? SOME CHOICES ARE:

CALL A FRIEND/RELATIVE THAT YOU LOVE.
GET TOGETHER TO CHAT, TO LUNCH, TO GO TO A MOVIE/PLAY/MUSIC PERFORMANCE, OR JUST SIT AND TALK OUR HEARTS OUT. WILL WE GET BETTER? PERHAPS NOT, BUT OUR MOOD CAN BE LIFTED EVEN TEMPORARILY.
LET'S FOCUS ON THE NOW! ALL OF US ARE RIDING ON THE TRAIN OF LIFE. AT SOME POINTS OF OUR JOURNEY, WE FALTER, WE FALL, WE BECOME DESPERATE.
BUT WE CLING ONTO THE TRAIN AND TRAVEL ON. LET'S STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES, EVEN WITHIN OUR PAIN! LET'S READ A GOOD BOOK AND ENTER SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE . LET'S GO TO A MOVIE AND ENTER ANOTHER'S WORLD.  LET'S LISTEN TO NATURE, TO THE BIRDS, TO THE SIGNS OF SPRING WHICH IS SOON UPON US, LET'S INHALE THE BEAUTIFUL SMELLS OF SHABAT, TO ITS BEAUT OF A 24 HR. PERIOD. LET'S REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE REACHING OUT WITH LOVE TO US!

YES, WE DON'T HAVE IT ALL, BUT WE DO HAVE THIS LITTLE OF BEING HERE . LET'S POUNCE UPON THE GOOD! LET'S SEEK IT OUT!!

LET'S PRAY, LET'S LAUGH, LET'S EVEN CRY! BUT THEN WE PICK OURSELVES UP AND CONTINUE ON OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE!
NO ONE PROMISED US A ROSE GARDEN! WE WOULD LOVE IT TO BE SO, BUT LET'S GRAB AND HOLD ONTO WHAT WE CAN AND HUG, TOUCH ONE ANOTHER, LET'S TASTE  WONDERFUL TASTES OF GOOD FOOD, OF LAUGHING TOGETHER, AND EVEN CRYING TOGETHER.
IF IT LOOKS LIKE LIFE IS PERFECT ELSEWHERE , DON'T BE FOOLED. WE EACH HAVE OUR HILLS AND VALLEYS TO CROSS, TO WILL FALTER SOMETIMES, AND THEN WE RISE AGAIN AND SMILE EVEN THOUGH OUR HEARTS MAY BE BREAKING (REMEMBER NAT KING COLE) SINGING THAT THOUGHT IN HIS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC).

LET'S LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT IS OUR LAST, WHICH HOPEFULLY IT ISN'T.

THE ABOVE IS NOT ME PREACHING TO YOU, MY AUDIENCE, IT IS ME TALKING TO MYSELF AND TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHAT I HAVE! NOW!

G. BLESS UNTIL NEXT MONTH.