Today started out the way many days have begun lately – with groans and complaints. I feel so old in the mornings, it’s when the aches and pains are the worst, I’m tired from not having slept, and it’s another day. Another day that I have to get through. Lately I have been wishing with all my heart that things could just stop for a while. Long enough for me to have a quick rest at least. God, where did you put the ‘pause button’? I cannot find it!
But life doesn’t wait for anyone!
Struggling so badly with depression, chronic fatigue, and a dastardly virus lately means that a lot of my spare time has been spent in bed. What a waste of time! It’s very tempting to sleep away as much of the day as I can – because that means I don’t have to face it, don’t have to be there, and I don’t have to be inside my head. It’s called Avoidance. But it’s not making anything better.
True fact – when you are in pain, lying in bed and being inactive makes it worse. When you are depressed, lying in bed and being inactive makes that worse too! It’s getting up and moving, outdoors, that helps with both mood and pain, hard as it can be to push yourself out there in the beginning!
So today, I got up, and I went out into the garden with Shalimar.
We both felt a heck of a lot better!
It’s getting cold here. Winter is on it’s way! I love winter because it means that Shalimar cuddles up to me all the more. When you are under the doonas, with a warm purring cat nestled into your body, you just don’t want to move! Life feels so good and so full of love 
Sometimes we let the hard stuff get us down and we forget to see just how blessed we are and our lives are. And I’m thankful every time I’m reminded of this.
Sometimes things get to be a bit much, but who doesn’t get overwhelmed and tired? That’s life, right? And now I know that if I get outside and surround myself with the beautiful world and my beloved kitty, and talk and spend time with the people I love, too – I’ll feel a heck of a lot better.
You can’t put some things in an antidepressant!
Hope you have all had a good weekend and thank you for reading my blog.
What makes you feel grateful today?
How do you make yourself feel better when you are not feeling all that good?
What makes me grateful today is my home, my loved ones, my health and having YOU in my life. Thank you for writing such a great blog, everything you write i speaks to me somehow. I love you very much. Keep writing! Good night my darling sister, and much love always! oxoxoxoxox
I’m so grateful to have YOU in MY life, beloved little sister. Thank you for being YOU xoxoxoxo
hey fiona,
Hope this comment finds you well and thank you for your comment. You are right the incident with the computer could have been a whole lot worse and today I am grateful it wasn’t.
I’m also grateful for my wonderful family, for my mother who has been surrounded by addiction her whole life but never gives up hope.
I’m grateful to have a roof over my head and a clean bed to sleep in as there were times that I didn’t.
This morning I felt a lot like you described. I got up, felt horrible and only managed to reach the couch before I gave up and fell back to sleep. Then I heard my 2 dogs barking outside anxious to go walkies.
Like you, I knew I’d feel better if I got up, faced up and got on with the day. So I took them to a nearby lake where they went swimming and I enjoyed the sun. Note to self, remember this good feeling the next time I want to sleep the day away.
Thanks for reminding me I have a lot to be grateful for.
Much love to you xxx
Hello Ruby! I’m glad you are okay and glad you are back on air. Sometimes I think everything happens for a reason, maybe this was a warning to take care of yourself in more ways than you might realise you need to.
I’m so glad you went to the lake and felt better for it. It does help.
I think it’s amazing that someone going through so much can be so grateful and then again, I know it’s possible because it’s the same for me. Like you, I’m grateful for a lot of things that many people take for granted. And I think it was a blessing to be without the ‘basics’ once, because it gave me that gift of appreciation.
I hope that you are having a good start to your week and that things get better for you.
love Fiona xxx
You and Shalimar look so peaceful together. Like girlfriends that went through a lot together.
Today, I’m truly grateful for almighty internet! I have no words how much it meant/means to my personal journey. Because of it I’ve met you and other wonderful people who are helping me so much… your post made my day today and I’m enjoying every minute of it.
As for the last question my cats are true helpers too. When I feel that I’m about to lose it I just lie on the floor and they happen to understand that I need them… and it may sound silly but I tell them beautiful silly tales, which usually end in some nonsense and then I laugh… I know, it’s stupid, but I had to share.
We are, we have been through so much together and I know for sure that I would not be alive today if I did not have my beloved cat to keep me going. I would have given up and allowed myself to die, and at times she was the only motivation I had for keeping going. I love her more than I can ever express, to heart’s bursting, and it breaks my heart that she won’t be around as long as I will – but I cannot lose today in fear of tomorrow and am trying to cherish each moment with her and make her life the happiest it can be.
Thank you for such a heartwarming comment, lovely Greta xxx
The internet is awesome isn’t it! And it’s brought us together. I was so alone before I got online and I imagine many of us were too. Now I cannot fathom how I got through all those years where I had nobody to talk to who really understood what I was going through, who got it. I don’t feel alone any more.
I’m so glad you have your beautiful Russian Mafia. They do love you too, they do understand when we are going through hard times. And it’s not silly at all
You look SO PRETTY in the first photograph with Shalimar! It’s absolutely something from a scene of Dr. Zhivago. My goodness! I hadn’t any idea that you were this pretty. Thanks for posting this. x
Thank you Nicole, that was sweet. I google-imaged Dr Zhivago, it looks interesting. Next on my list to read/watch
Glad you’re feeling better…I’m like you ..I like to get out of the confines of the house and get outside….I used to have a cat that loved to sit with me and ‘cuddle’ but I lost her last year…she was 15…but we still have our little Lhasa Apse…he makes me smile….Diane
I’m so sorry about the loss of your precious cat, Diane. It truly is as heartbreaking as losing a human member of our family, to lose them. You gave her such a love-filled happy life (still smile remembering your post about all your pets) I’m grateful for a friend like you who daily reminds me of what’s important in our lives and reaches out with such amazing messages. xx
I tell my clients all the time that they could alleviate a bulk of their depression just by getting out of bed, taking a shower, eating properly, and having a routine. It really does make a HUGE difference.
It does!! It’s hard to take that first step when you feel so bad, but it’s definitely one of those things that you have to push yourself to just do or you will never get out there and feel better. It’s a bit of a cycle actually, feel depressed, stay in bed, get more depressed, stay in bed more…
way to go for getting up and out! so hard to do when you feel like that! i go hiking, or rock climbing. i am grateful for a beautiful day warm with the sun shining. a good last day in 9 with my Hubbers.
what an awesome thing to do!! I’m grateful for you, my friend, we are sharing so many lessons and insights
xxx
thank you and we are aren’t we! we are becoming wise lol
I’ve spent a few years doing little more than lying around with fatigue and chronic pain. Ugh. I also had a bad depression in that time. I didn’t like it!!! Getting up and doing something enjoyable (or just being somewhere more enjoyable and less sickness-associated than your bed, like, in the garden) helps a lot. Just keep doing or being elsewhere a little bit every day. And you know, sunlight is sooooooo good! And Shalimar is soooooo cute!
It makes me sad to think of you lying around in pain and fatigued, Kath, it seems so at odds with the smiling Kath in your photos and on your recent holidays. I’m so glad that you are now able to do these things – wonderful holidays with loved ones, a better quality of life overall. And you give me hope. It wasn’t easy for you and I imagine it’s still hard a lot of the time but it’s worth it and it’s doable – thank you