Sunny with a Chance of Clouds is the new name I gave my blog in February 2019. It reflects the optimism of my current emotional state. I’ve walked with depression for many years now, and I know “this too shall pass” when I’m hit with a depressive episode. The dark clouds come … and then go!
Prior to February, my blog was called Gray Clouds Clear Skies. It’s an analogy I used to remind myself that the negative thoughts of depression and anxiety are not permanent; they aren’t even true.
In the wintertime where I lived – in Wisconsin – days and days could go by without the sun even peeking out from behind the clouds. The skies were different shades of gray – sometimes light gray and sometimes darker and heavy. But without seeing the sun, it was often hard for me to remember that the sky was up above those clouds – clear and blue and sunny. It sounds a little silly, but I would almost forget that the sun was real. It took conscious effort on my part to remind myself – the clouds weren’t permanent.
Depression can be the same. The darkness, the heavy negative thoughts, the hopelessness – they are like winter skies. They seem to go on and on, with no indication that things will ever change, that I will ever emerge from them to be the happy person I want to be. But that’s not true. My depression is not permanent. Yes, I will probably live with it all of my life. But the dark thoughts break and I go into remission and I’m more like the me I want to be. Thus my tagline – I am not my depression.
This blog is written for those who are struggling in the battle against depression and those who love someone who is fighting. I’m a Christ follower, and I want others to know the comfort and peace that Jesus brings as He walks with us in that battle. He is with us, whether we feel His Presence or not. He has promised never to leave us, and that means even in the deepest darkest caverns of depression, Jesus is with us. I hope my blog can bring some hope to those who struggle believing this truth. This is an area where I struggle, too.
These are my stories of my journeys through depression. While I am not licensed nor trained to give depression advice, I do think that we can learn from each other as we share our experiences and what has or hasn’t worked in our lives. I may tag some of my posts with “depression advice” just so that readers can find depression helps that worked for me.
Sunny with a Chance of Clouds 