I realized that I was living in a state of mental purgatory. No matter how long I kept those mountains on that wall, my son was never going to come home to us. I was holding onto something that was holding me back, and it was starting to become a bit unhealthy. What was once seemingly a comfort had turned into a magnifier for my depression.

So again, what do you do when you can’t control what’s happening to you?

I wasn’t what you would classify as a raging alcoholic, but I sure could throw a few back once I got started.

And once I got started, that was typically where my day ended. Productivity out the window along with my capacity to care for the feelings of others.

I felt myself losing control.

I’m glad that I’ve been forcing light onto the darkness because I can explore things with a more complete perspective, rather than just wallowing in the negativity. Also, if you open your mind you’re able to capture moments that you might have missed otherwise. I would bet that those searching for silver linings often come across more than their counterparts.