mental health

,

2020: lost and found

,
2020: lost and found

today is the final day of 2020. it’s been… a year. a year that needs no introduction. a year that’s become the punchline of jokes and the reason why many things didn’t work out the way people had in mind. it gets a pretty bad rap, and while it’s certainly not my favorite year ever, it hasn’t been a complete waste. i’m not looking to minimize or discount some of the truly awful things that have happened this year, but i’m closing it out with some reflections and gratitude for the ways in which there was still good to be found.

how to cope: seasonal affective disorder

how to cope: seasonal affective disorder

it’s natural to feel the urge to hibernate as we approach winter—this year more than ever. the cold weather and shorter days can leave anyone wanting to curl up in bed and wait until spring. however, if this urge turns into more and starts to affect your life, it could be something more. something like seasonal affective disorder.

,

welcome baby boy bica

,
welcome baby boy bica

most notably i grew and birthed a human who is now 11 weeks old. his name is connor joseph bica (to be known henceforth on this blog as yogi) and he's pretty much the cutest baby in the world. but this post isn't really about him. he will be the star of many (or few based on my current track record) posts to come; but this is my story, a (mostly) unfiltered birth story, about how he entered the world.

, ,

there is no shame in taking medication

, ,
there is no shame in taking medication

our lives are made up of chapters, sections, tales and passages that when pieced together write the story that is uniquely our own. some chapters end, and we gladly close them up and turn the page. others become such a part of our story that they are woven into every sentence and paragraph that follows. it shifts our story; even in the slightest of ways. one thing is certain, we are never the same as before that chapter unfolded. 

, , ,

in a word: embrace

, , ,
in a word: embrace

it took me a couple weeks into the new year to settle on a word. my mind likes to tell me there is only one right choice/response/answer/decision. the prospect of picking the wrong one is enough to paralyze me. stop me in my tracks. it invites anxiousness into the party and now it feels all consuming. it can happen to any and all choices, no matter their significance.