Appreciation

This is a common time of the year that people get together with family and friends, to eat, shop, fellowship, etc. One of my favorite things about this time of year is that people actually meet up in person. In this “social” media world we live in, Actually meeting with people in person is a great thing, in my opinion. Exchanging hugs and shaking hands, being able to talk with others, in person, can be a beautiful thing.

Obviously not everyone has the ability to be in person with their loved ones. Whether it’s too much Geographical distance, finances may not allow it, or maybe there is a conflict that has happened that hinders people getting together. As we know, not everyone has a place to go or call home. Some may call a shelter, or under a bridge, their home. Let us be thankful and appreciate what we do have and show genuine kindness to others.

We know that mental health struggles, chronic pain, medical conditions, these rarely take “time off.” OCD doesn’t give a damn what time of the year it is. If it can, it often involves itself in making your experience miserable, we know it will try regardless of what the calendar reads. The good news is that it seems to try less when we continue to lean into our fears and choose to not do the rituals.

We can also keep in mind that someone can be surrounded by friends and family and still feel like they are on fire on the inside. We know that depression, anxiety, OCD, as well as other related struggles, these experiences can be down right brutal to deal with. We may be able to keep the “facade” going in public, however let’s remind ourselves that we can choose to do something about the war in our head. Let’s lean on each other and ask for help if needed. Let us keep leaning into challenging ourselves, to keep the monster managed, as we enjoy our days as much as possible. Keep pushing forward.

Jeremy Rudd