It’s been a long few weeks. The distance learning the school provided was not adequate so we’ve been doing our own thing. We’ve been very dedicated working hard everyday and the kids have been learning concepts they haven’t mastered all year in school. So when the opportunity arrived to get away for a bit we jumped on it. We traveled to Perdido Beach and it’s beautiful. We are staying with friends and being around people again has been amazing. Talking, laughing and just not staring at the same 4 walls. The beach is empty and so peaceful I’m so looking forward to this week of fun in the sun.
As a native Floridian I've missed the beach I"ve got salt water in my veins. I mean who could not growing up on a small coastal island? Being away from the ocean has been hard so this has been a welcome retreat.
As the fear of this virus has chased us all inside and away from each other it's not the only thing to fear. Isolation especially for those who already suffer from depression can be just as dangerous. Hearing the news that a friends son succumbed to the monster known as depression is what drove me out of the safety of home and made me realize that maybe it wasn't the safest place for me. I had already began to feel the edginess and the weight bearing down on me making even the most basic tasks almost unbearable.
We as humans are naturally social animals and being isolated can for some be just if not more dangerous than the virus. Use common sense but if you need to get out do it. Don't be afraid to call friends and family for help. Families and friends if you know someone who suffers from depression reach out we are not ok. Call, text, email or just show up and leave a note on our doorstep let us know we aren't alone. When depression closes in we often can't reach out we don't feel like we are worth your effort show us we are.
Nature is a natural antidepressant so get out (wear your mask around others) walk in the woods, ride a bike, walk on the beach or just down the street in your neighborhood. Go get fresh air and some sunshine.