The other shoe

Yesterday's post generated much good cheer. I had thought when I was writing it, "What if I get depressed again?" I put the thought aside. It doesn't matter if I get depressed again. If I do, it doesn't take away anything from the way I feel today. I feel great, in spite of my aching back, feet, and extreme tiredness.

My house smells divine. Dick is making maple syrup from the trees behind our house. Today is the third day of boiling the sap, and I'd venture to guess that there isn't a corner of the house that doesn't smell sweet and yummy. But, for all I know, my cat might deposit a big smelly poop in her litter box.

So many times, when things are going well, we wonder "When is the other shoe going to drop?" Especially for people who have depression, we tend to worry whether our good moods are too good to be true. When we do this, we do ourselves a disservice. The moment is what it is. If we're hanging out in the future during the present, we're not cherishing it.

A woman once asked me if I worried about whether I'd go into a psychiatric unit again. She worried about it a lot. Why should I even think about it? If I need to, I will. If I don't, I won't.

Believe me, I'm not telling anyone to take up the slogan "Don't worry - be happy", but. . .

. . .maybe that is what I'm doing. Uh oh. I once thought, "I'd like to shoot the guy who wrote those lyrics." Hey, people change.

Image note: More Audubon. This time, American Goldfinches. It has nothing to do with the post, but I see many of them out the window, and I never tire of Audubon's gorgeous prints.