Posted in depression, mental illness

Some encouraging mental health news & then…

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

Please Read this important piece, written by Minnesota Prairie Roots. Help end the stigma!

Minnesota Prairie Roots

This message refers to the struggles associated with mental illness. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WE’VE ALL SEEN THEM—fundraisers and GoFundMe campaigns to help individuals and families who are struggling. Perhaps you’ve even been in that spot of needing financial help following a devastating event or a major health crisis. You’ve likely attended many fundraisers and/or donated online. I am thankful for such generosity.

Typically, these pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners, silent auctions,…crowdfunding efforts follow a diagnosis like cancer, a car accident or a major event like a house fire. Missed work and overwhelming medical and other bills all too often deplete finances. And if not for the assistance of caring family, friends and even strangers, many could not get through the challenges.

Yet, in the all of this, I’ve often wondered why individuals who’ve experienced a mental health crisis are not fundraising also. When they’ve been hospitalized and/or…

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Posted in Life, Stories

Happy Spring!

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

I LOVE spring!  To feel the warmth of the sun after winter’s chill is healing to my soul.  I love the smell of newly tilled earth and freshly cut lawns.  My BFF gave me a rosebush for my birthday (photo above) and I love the multi colored blooms!

I started some snapdragon seeds indoors this winter and have been rewarded with some amazing colors! See photos below.

Texas’ state flower is the Bluebonnet.  The flowers grow wild along the roads and in fields in the spring.  Below, you will see bluebonnets in bloom along a country road and blue and RED bonnets growing in my brother’s yard!

Here’s a full view of my pretty little rosebush. (below) Looking at the one bloom on it, you would think that the blooms would be yellow.  But they are a multicolored bloom changing from yellow to yellow with pink tips.  I also have a couple of new buds on the bush that look to be mostly pink.  It’s going to be fun to see how they change as they open!  🙂

One more photo.  (I can’t help myself)  Below is a photo of a petunia plant that I saved when I first bought my house a year ago.  When I first saw it, it had one little bloom on it.  I was having a lot of work done on the yard at the time and I couldn’t let the little thing die.  So I dug it up and put it in a pot.  It lasted through the winter and is now blooming like crazy!

If you are still in the grips of winter, I’m sorry.  Spring IS coming.  Hopefully the photos that I’ve shared here brought you a warm smile!

Thank you for joining me on this journey. ❤

Posted in Poetry

Elusive

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes 

Just a hint

A small inkling

Like a whisper
not quite heard

Or a soft scent
on the breeze

I can’t hold
or touch it

A shadow
caught in the path
of the sun

I felt it
I tasted it

I’m sure

Elusive and
wild
as trust

As fleeting
as time

Love

Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson
Posted in Poetry

Patched

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes 

I've threaded the needle. 
This fine new silk thread
is lovely on its own.

It will serve me well.

This patch is a big one
smaller than others.

But bigger than most.

I've chosen a pretty shade of 
crimson for this one.

The color I bleed.

Although fresh, the patch does blend well 
with the others.

I'm no seamstress, 
but I've become proficient.

I worried for a while, 
but I know I'll be alright.

I can face the world with a smile.
This patch will do it's job.

This heart is resilient.
I'll patch it 
one more time.

Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson

*A slight revision from its 2018 version.  I like it.  I hope you do too.

Posted in Poetry

The Weight of Yesterday

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes 


View the world 
without the weight 
of yesterday 

a feat most
difficult 

It clouds the vision
and dulls the heart

We struggle to
shrug off the past
to clear our vision

The weight of the world 
is burdensome enough

without dragging the past 
with us
through life

Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson

 

Posted in Life

International Women’s Day

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

I Feel quite honored that International Women’s Day happens to fall on my Birthday!  Today, honor a lovely woman in your life! 

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” — Cherokee proverb

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? — Satchel Paige

Life is too short to be small. — Benjamin Disraeli

We are always the same age inside. – Gertrude Stein

Let your joy be in your journey, not in some distant goal. – Tim Cook

May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live. – Irish blessing

Image by Markéta (Machová) Klimešová from Pixabay

Posted in Poetry

Lapse In Judgement

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes 

Not forbidden fruit 
but a mistake all the same

The sweetest of fruit
will surely cause me pain

Are you a lapse in judgement
if my thoughts linger

Are you a bad decision
or a taste for my hunger

Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson 

(Slightly revised from a 2017 version)

Posted in mental illness

World Teen Mental Health Day

Posted on by Penny Wilson Writes

Being a teen is hard enough.  If you add mental health struggles to that, makes life for some unbearable.  In this world of social media, peer pressures can be amplified.  Anxiety and Depression are the most common issues dealt with. 

Depression and Anxiety should not be taken lightly.  Teen suicides have increased dramatically since 2019.  

What can you do to help?  

*Be watchful of behavioral changes in your teen.  Are they isolating themselves more?  Have they lost interest in things that used to bring them joy?  Is your teen sleeping more or have a change in their eating habits?  

*Listen without judgement.  So often, people will keep the signs of Anxiety and Depression hidden for fear of being judged.  The feeling of shame is strong among those that suffer because of the stigma attached.  

*Talk to your teen.  Be willing to start the conversation.  We, as parents, don’t always know what to do, so we hope they will “grow out of it”, or that it’s “just a phase” they are going through.  Because your teen is keeping things to themselves, you will often need to make the first move to start the conversation about what they are struggling with.  

*Reach out.  Seek help in dealing with your teen’s struggles.  If you don’t know where to start, often your family doctor can help steer you in the right direction for resources in your area.  

*Educate yourself.  Being aware of the issues and their symptoms can be a huge help.  There are many helpful websites for this.  This is a good place to start: https://988lifeline.org/

The Suicide Prevention Hotline Phone # is 988. 

You don’t need to be experiencing a crisis to contact a crisis hotline. At most of these hotlines, the volunteers and counselors who answer calls, texts and chat messages are trained to help someone in crisis. But you can also reach out if you’re feeling sad, anxious or stressed and don’t know where to turn. 

These hotlines also serve friends, family members and loved ones of someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, domestic violence, abuse, addiction and many other issues. 

Even if someone at a crisis hotline cannot help you with your specific needs, they can point you to the right resources that can. No one will ever make you feel bad for trying to get help, and no concern is too trivial or small. If it feels hard for you to manage, it’s worth reaching out.

For more information and other helpful resources and articles, please visit my Mental Health Help Page HERE.

Copyright (C) 2023 Penny Wilson