Before I continue with this blog, I want to state I am not writing about clinical and diagnosed depression (or any mental health concern where you really need to seek professional help), I am talking about those times that all of us go through where we experience sadness, sorrow, grief and depression. Far from being the end of the world, these times can be very creative, healing, and growing times for us. Many of us come out on the other side of sadness and grief feeling stronger and more “ourselves.” We can look at these inevitable times as an opportunity to grow and develop…
The process to becoming a single parent can be incredibly painful for many of us—that does not mean that we do not end up embracing and relishing our role as a single parent. For many of us, it is the grief, sadness, sorrow and depression that we go through that actually helps us to rediscover ourselves and find a new way of being in the world. I know for a fact that my own road to single parenthood has become a huge part of who I am and it influences not only how I interact with my children, but how I interact with the world.
Instead of dreading and avoiding those sad and sorrowful times, we can look at them through new eyes—we can see them as a gateway to personal growth. By learning what we can from the experience and not trying to rush through or force fake emotions, we can find deeper parts of ourselves and learn valuable life lessons. Not all of the most poignant lessons in life are happy ones (or sad ones for that matter) and we can become richer, more complicated, and more compassionate people by getting through the sad times. I have also found that the grieving and depressive times are those times when I find out who my truest friends are and bond with them in very intimate ways. This is another way that the sorrowful times can be a gift.
See Also: The Mental Health Blog