Keep your family’s spirits up when the holiday season is winding down.
I really love the holiday season and when I wake up on New Year's Day, I feel a little sad. The post-holidays makes me think about snowy weather...when the snow first falls, it is sparkling, clean, and evokes bright-eyed, smiling faces. But, by the next day it is dirty and we are all fed up with it! The post-holidays are just like the day-old snow. Overnight, the twinkling lights are gone from homes and stores; the parties are over; grumpy people are returning unwanted gifts; and it's back to school and work.
Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods and earthquakes are often the most destructive events that a person can experience in a lifetime. These types of storms are also among the most expensive disasters to recover from financially because of being out of work or not having enough insurance coverage to replace what the storm destroyed. It may take months to perhaps even a year for everyone to feel that things are back to "normal".
The suicide of famed pastor Rick Warren’s son sent waves of unease through our homes, creating new awareness for children and mental illness. In a letter to his church, Warren wrote that his son Matthew, 27, committed suicide in a “momentary wave of despair” after a lifelong struggle with depression and mental illness. An autopsy revealed that Warren’s son died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mental illness is real. It shows up in the form of anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, conduct disorder, bipolar disorder and a host of other diagnoses.
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