Stories

It's morning. The kids are awake. The house is alive again, but you are not. You didn't sleep. Your body aches. Your head hurts. Your mind races. Just another day.

The children filter in and out of the room, chattering and clamoring for their school supplies. "What's for breakfast?" "Have you seen my shoes?" "Are you coming to my game?" You shut the door.

One day, the world looked different. The person you love is no longer here. What are you supposed to do now?

Everything around you keeps going. Everyone in your surroundings is moving forward. But you yourself don't want to even move. The bed feels warm. The lights are all off. The outside noise is muffled. This is where it's safe--inside your own thoughts and feelings, and no one to tell you otherwise.

The day is getting shorter. The temperature is dropping. The holidays are approaching. "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" The singer croons. Family gatherings. Presents to buy. Trips to plan. A busy time of year.

Not everyone is excited for this time of year. For many people, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.

Anyone who's married knows that relationships take work. But when one person is affected by depression, they often lose the ability to participate in the work of cultivating a loving relationship, and the consequences can be devastating. While a person with depression might be stranded in feelings of sadness and inadequacy, we often forget that their spouse bears an equal burden.