Loving someone with a mental health problem. It can be a very difficult thing to accomplish, but very worthwhile. Scroll down past today’s poem and photo to read my blog about just that.
This is a photo of my dad, who is my rock and salvation. He married into a family with mental health issues and never stopped caring, never backed away.
Debbie
When I think of the perfect summer day
I think of you and I walking in the heat
We had no car no cash for the bus
But with you by my side I felt so complete
There was a certain special something to you
You had such beauty, and under that a loveliness true
I recall your long, ungainly, uncovered feet
Walking on the grassy part of the street
You never seemed to care at all what you had
As long as you had someone to share it with
And you had so very much to offer
Walking with you was pure bliss
There were so many things to love about you
Like how you let your thin shirt reveal your sweet breasts
Or how you could transform yourself into a bookworm
And study hard and get perfect scores on your tests
But I think what made me truly love you
Was how you were able to care so very much
For the smallest creatures in the animal kingdom
To people who had been hurt by life’s harshest touch
In my life I’ve not done well with many women
And I thought that was how the story would end
We all make mistakes and have problems that’s human
But I picked right when I picked you as my best friend
Leif Gregersen
August 22, 2016
Good day, dear readers! I haven’t been making blog posts on a regular basis for some time, but I think I will soon correct that error. I have been learning a bit about how to make my blog better and more popular and I am hoping that will bring a new enthusiasm to this process. I am currently in Toronto and having a fairly good time with the place. It is huge and so I have been a bit reluctant to stray far from my sister’s house, partly for monetary reasons, and partly for mental health reasons. It gets so hot here, I don’t know how people can stand it.
In a couple of weeks, I am going back to my job as a presenter for the Schizophrenia Society and I think it will be a very rewarding month. I am going to speak at a medical school and our annual fundraiser which should be pretty awesome. While I was here in Toronto I spoke at a mental health conference (on a panel) and I have to say it feels good to get some recognition going. A lot of people really seem to respect that I have written books about my illness and all that. I can only see things getting better career-wise, but still, I have to remember to do my daily maintenance on myself. Above all, I need my medication, and then I have to work on the simple things. Am I eating in a healthy manner, am I exercising, am I isolating myself? There are a lot of things that I have to keep focused on. Fortunately, as time goes on it gets easier. Sometimes I am so amazed that it has been 15 years since I was in the hospital. I have to admit to being a bit worried about what moving out on my own (in the week after I get back) is going to be like, but there will be support there and there is more support from the mental health clinic I go to.
Aside from that dear readers, I hope you all are well. Remember as I said in my poem, we are all human, we all make mistakes, be kind and forgive yourself, rebuild and move on when that happens. Thanks for all the support!