((((((Wish)))))),



I've been there, Wish. Taking classes that remind me of the bad things in my life. I've walked out. I've stayed. *YOU* need to decide how you're gonna handle this.

My son and I believe that situations are continually presented to us because there's something that we need to take care of or something that we need to look at and resolve in some way.

You know how when there's a car accident and two witnesses describe the scene -- one says a red car caused the accident and the other says a white truck caused the accident?? It's the same way with us that have long-term depression. Every time you examine your life and reasons for what's happened to you in your life, you see another viewpoint. Every therapist, every teacher (especially the writing and psychology teachers) has helped me work out another part of *ME*.

I've been fighting depression for close to 50 years.

How about as a reaction this teacher and to this class -- instead of pulling the depression toward you and wrapping up in it again, you look at it as an opportunity to solve some more of the riddle?? This would be a great time to start a blank book about the reactions and thoughts you get from participating in this class.

Wish, I know how hard you work and I know how hard it is to keep a "normal" life when you're also fighting depression. Depression takes a huge toll on everybody -- the depressee, the family, the friends. It's beyond 'hard'.

One day they're gonna find out which two wires are crossed in our heads so they can stop this darn depression in it's tracks. In the meantime, we have to work EXTRA HARD to understand depression and how it works in general and how it works in *US* so that we cope.

I wish you the best, sugar. Just don't pull the darkness over your head again. Try to welcome every experience into your life that will help you understand. BIG HUGS.

Barb