What if you could really just suck all the ills of the world into a small container and keep them trapped there? Like a Pandora’s box. Or let out all the good things, like rubbing the genie’s lamp and granting your major wishes? Find a way to keep your mental health, without resorting to a therapist?
Are you enduring the pain in your life, or thriving in spite of it? That is the question. The answer may be as simple as finding a jar. |
Of course this isn’t the only concern these days. In the past more than two years I’ve seen my mainland family only twice, through Covid-19 rules and regulations, and constant ferry issues. Our family efforts have ensured we can still talk virtually, but it really isn’t the same as being face to face.
Even the shopping changed. Now everyone wears masks, and sounds as if they’re in an echo chamber or a distant cave when they talk to you. There’s no smiling, no talking. We’ve gone through the vaccination process three times. Yup, we’re fully vaccinated. Got the passport to show it.
The forced isolation and hideous weather, combined with some health challenges has brought all kinds of new thoughts, and introspection about our situation living here.
Just about everyone we know here has family members also living on the Coast. That must make a huge difference to have folks close by with all that has happened.
There’s a lot of talk about mental health these days, as the world focus is on Omicron, the appalling new variant of Covid-19 that has popped up and is infecting folks with a speed and global illness that no one ever imagined would be possible.
Some while ago, I was online chatting to another good friend, crazyhorseladycx from New Mexico. I’ve never met her in person, yet over the years we’ve shared so much of our lives. She had a practical suggestion that I simply couldn’t overlook.
“Get yourself a jar,” she said. “Then every day write on a piece of paper one thing that you found good about your day.” (she’s not given to expressing superlatives.) “Put it into the jar, and you’ll be able to look at all those good things whenever you need to.” Anyway, I got the message. I thought of using the special jar that Angelia from Indiana had brought.
A jar can be used first to keep worthwhile personal secrets. You can choose to focus on the tough things in life to throw in it, and keep them firmly trapped in your own Pandora’s box.
Or you can decide only to plunk the good thoughts inside. But when you take out those little reminder pieces of paper they can do their job of spreading the goodness. That’s rubbing the genie lamp big time.
WooHoo! Morning came at 7.17 this morning! Makes you want to add to the good jar right away, but no, often it's better to wait until evening, then you often have choices!
Will you decide to use a “good” jar?