60 Odd Years

So, 2018 saw me embark on another adventure. Not knowing what the future would hold, I decided to leave life once again as I knew it and forge a new way forward. Getting in my little blue car and taking off on a 63 day road trip in the spring of 2018 was the most therapeudic thing I could ever have done for myself. I was at a standstill the beginning of the year, immersed in sorrow at the passing of my Mom and, also at the stalling of a friendship that I had thought was much more than that. I had to do something! It was time for something different! So road trip it was, a little test run to see if I could actually make a bigger change leading to the next adventure, this one for the rest of my life. That road trip gave me hope and a zest for what I was missing in my life. As I headed out to share a meal with old friends here on the Island on that Boxing Day, I was reminded of the many lasting friendships we, as a family have made over the years as well as the new ones I continue to make as I go about my daily life now. I believe human contact is a necessity in each and every one of our lives. We crave acceptance and love, as humans. Where we find it, is mostly up to us. I must fight the anxiety (the weirdest of dreams taking place some nights as I toss and turn) and depression; it is easy in these times to reach at least in my case for that additional comfort food, perhaps a cookie or an extra treat. Alcohol can also present its own challenges during these times. What once may have been an occasional drink with friends can start to become a little too often. Of that I am conscious and grateful as I’ve seen the devastation that can bring and I hope never to succumb to that lifestyle. Last evening on the National newscast, I was sobered by the comments from the Premier of Alberta as he spoke about some of the measures they are putting in place for their people – especially the mental health component. Speaking of the likelihood of alcohol becoming a bigger part of people’s lives these days, he indicated measures would have to added to assist those then dealing with these unexpected issues once the days of self-distancing and isolation are over.