[MouseWife]

Well, maybe your parents did it right? I don't know. I know that growing up, we weren't allowed to be a lot of emotions. It was so big 'Think about the starving kids in China!' 'Would you like me to give you something to cry about?' 'You are so selfish'.

So, I never had to fake it. I didn't know what to fake. I remember a friend asking me if I ever felt depressed and I told her that if ever I started to feel down I told myself 'There are others worse off than you are'.

Later, someone else asked me if I'd ever suffered depression. By this time I realize that I had. I'd been through a lot of things but kept going like 'Gunga Din' {sp, it is what my MIL called me}.

I think it is great to be able to recognize it. It makes the good days that much sweeter.

I have some songs that I put in my cd walkman and hit the pavement and just enjoy. Smell the roses. Carry my pepper spray.