February is the month of love but it can also be a difficult time for a lot of people. I read a lot of blogs and I’ve noticed a sharp up-spike the last couple of weeks in the number of people who are hurting or struggling in one way or another… feeling sad, mad, frustrated, near to hopeless… it breaks my heart for real. I seriously wish there were some way I could reach out and magically heal all the pain because trust me I know exactly how it feels!
Some of the following may be the culprit.
- The optimism of a new year is wearing off big time.
- Not finding the love one needs/desires in life can make a person feel kinda crappy… and then some.
- Long, lingering winters up north can make the human spirit plummet. I lived in the north for more than 30 years before getting the f- out. I have tiny flashbacks every time the temperature here in Florida drops below 60.
- The anticipation of spring… it seems like such a long wait doesn’t it?
- It’s not pretty. All the beauty of the snow of December and January is gone (from #MomFail, “Why I Strongly Dislike the Month of February“).
- No one really knows how to spell February (this one is from Elite Daily, “8 Reasons Why February Is Literally The Worst Month Ever“).
- Not to mention… the big elephant in the room… this crazy COVID crap just keeps going on and on and on….. it can drive a person completely loony tunes after a while.
Ultimately, attaining good mental health is a journey that each person has to forge for themselves. Most of us detest being told what to do… we like to figure it out for ourselves, right?
That being said there are people in the world struggling with the same things that you are right now… learn what works for others and try some of those things out for yourself. Develop your own unique plan. You can do it!
All the best!
JoAnn
by Alexandra Vasiliu
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Hmm… interesting to contemplate!
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Thoughtful article, JoAnn. Moreover, despite the vexing topic, you ease into a hopeful and even chipper conclusion. Just what’s needed for those not among the “select.”
Love and romance are worthy of celebration, and a healthy, optimistic society honors them. However, for at least a significant minority, such happiness remains elusive. Whether one’s unlucky or is tragedy-struck, the contrast is particularly wrenching. Particularly when such misfortune is portrayed as being “abnormal” (there’s that word again!) and deserving, at best, of pity, and more often, of scorn.
By the way, I love the Great White North pic, you hoser. Similar to your post, I sum up my remarks with a smile!
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Yes, I loved Strange Brew. In 6the grade a couple of smart students presuaded our teacher to show Strange Brew in class for a rare movie day. After showing the movie she said something like… well I didn’t know it was going to be quite like that. Different time and place. These days such a teacher might just be vilified.
Well, in a perfect world everyone would get exactly what they need when they need it. We don’t live in that world but at least we have such things as great food and spirits to help us get through it!
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Ha! Love your Strang Brew story, JoAnn!
We too had movie days, usually twice a year, the last day before Christmas break, and the last full day of school in late spring. In elementary school, they were mostly children’s movie retreads, like the Shaggy Dog or the Bad News Bears.
As we got older, the cinema selections were a bit more daring, though only within the “safe” parameters of PG. Still, “PG” covered a lot of territory, and in one of those flicks, a woman went topless for, like, .13 seconds. Well, the students greeted that scene as you would expect them to, and the teachers were suitably mortified. I wonder how many phone calls from upset parents that particular film generated. As you said, different time and place!
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Ha ha! Now that is pretty funny.
Yes certainly…. what was once seen as mostly harmless rights of passage is today viewed as “scarring children for life.” Sometimes it can really go overboard.
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Oh definitely, JoAnn. Have we become so “antiseptic” (in many more ways than one), we’re losing the natural resistance it took us millennia to build?
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I’m hoping as tough as this year has been to start for many, hopefully it will finish on a higher note. I did enjoy that meme of the brain telling the heart to get up. Such a fitting one for how it can feel!
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Yes I love that! What a gem! And so true. I think most everyone is trying very hard to stay positive and optimistic… if nothing else it does demonstrate how strong and resilient we can be.
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Your irrepressible cheerfulness is infectious. It is an indomitable force and takes one through any kind of inner or outer weather.
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They say if you don’t laugh you’ll cry… luckily I don’t feel like crying too much these days. I always appreciate your positive reinforcement and wonderful complements. Makes my day. 🙂
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For all those people who lost their jobs or their companies, the year 2021 has a sad beginning. But maybe knowing that we cannot take anything for granted makes us appreciate more what we have? Thank you for this supportive post. 🙂
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Yes, more appreciative… going through hard times also makes us stronger! 🙂
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Wise words JoAnn
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Thank you 🙂☀️
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