Many of you know that I suffer from depression. I should also note that I am not great at expressing my thoughts in a written form. I apologize for all the grammatical errors and bad punctuation. It might have something to do with having been homeschooled, attended a co-op school in Romania, going to 2 public schools, and finally, a pre-boarding school that pointed out a learning disability rather than my test anxiety. However, back to the topic of my depression. It comes in waves but can cause me to spiral into days of not feeling like doing anything and lying around in bed. After being diagnosed with pre-diabetes, I have felt even more overwhelmed. I am grateful to friends that have encouraged me to seek therapy and have shown support through their words and actions. I have been seeing a therapist for two weeks and have found it to be very helpful. While it takes work to get better, It’s what I am striving for daily. I find making art, baking with my niece, and listening to audiobooks a way to bring joy into my life. I just finished listening to “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi. The book was on Reese Witherspoon’s book club HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB list. The journey of the main character reminded me of my own creative journey. Lakshmi Shastri is a henna artist in Jaipur when it was not common for women to have their own business. She befriends the wealthy, but an unexpected visitor changes everything and upturns her life. She loses her so-called friendships with the wealthy woman, and like in any good dramatic book, the rumor mill is swiftly churning out lies. She loses all of her clients except a few. This is one of those moments where how one responds to a shitty situation makes all the difference. When the path in my took a sudden turn, I felt angry, sad, and deeply depressed. It felt like it was all happening at once, losing several jobs around my field of study, struggling to be financially well, and losing friendships. I allowed negative thoughts to live within me instead of seeing the bigger picture for my life. I am still pursuing my passion and am always excited to share with my readers what is up next. I recently had a photo shoot of my pillows and made business cards made. I hope to have a follow-up newsletter shortly with images of my new pillows (you would love my sewer Mary, she has the best smile). While the future is unknown, I have to trust that God knows. I appreciate each and every one of you!
God Bless,
Sarah