January always feels like a slow run-up to the coming year…everyone still trying to recover from the holidays, dark when you get up in the morning and dark when you get home from work…cold. Very cold this year.
I woke up to a freezing morning the other day only to see on the news that it was colder in Atlanta than in New York and it wasn’t going to get better any time soon.
There is a terrible chill afflicting the south. I’m from Michigan and we like to brag about how the cold doesn’t affect us. In fact, we claim to love it. But my heart goes out to all you Southerners who aren’t prepared for this kind of arctic blast. People are truly suffering.
We’ll try to keep you a little warmer with our thoughts and prayers. Maybe some of you could post a response and let us know how you are doing.
This is also a month when many people struggle with depression, a kind of deep-freeze of the spirit. I think it can be especially trying for people who are not usually prone to the blues yet find themselves sluggish, out-of-sorts, and generally feeling bleak.
It can happen to anyone and the good news is that for most people it usually goes away. And perhaps the best antidote is knowing that others go through rough patches too. You are not alone and courage is a resource we can all share.
There is a story in this month’s issue of GUIDEPOSTS that I found incredibly moving. Written by Therese Borchard, it chronicles her medical battle with severe clinical depressive illness and the startling spiritual awakening that helped her recover, for depression can sometimes be as much a condition of the soul as of the mind.
For other uplifting articles on depression, just type the word into the search box at Guideposts.com or go to this archive. I’ve always found that a good story makes me feel better.
And if you want to feel motivated, read this month’s cover story by Tammie Temple and check out our New Healthy You program. Tammie is proof that you can change your life.
Well, I’m going to bundle up now and take Millie down to the Chelsea Waterside Dog Run. It’s never too cold for her! And while even my Michigan blood cools a bit in the face of the gusts whipping off the Hudson River, I can’t tell you how much it will lift my spirits to see the dogs play. Hope you have a wonderful day and find for yourself a touch of warmth.
P.S. I was hoping to reach 10,000 fans on the GUIDEPOSTS Facebook page by Jan. 1. We almost made it. Don’t forget to tell your friends about GUIDEPOSTS online. Thanks.
Edward Grinnan is Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of GUIDEPOSTS Publications.
