In the Depths of Winter

I joined SparkPeople in the depths of winter. The date was January 15, 2010, and it was a hard winter in many ways. The weather was cold and rainy, far worse than our usual mild winters in south Georgia, and the weather made my rheumatoid arthritis even more painful. I was in grief for my wonderful mother who had died five months earlier. She had lived with my husband and me for the last ten years and had handled her failing health with grace and good humor. I also found myself in the midst of a major depression for the first time in many years.

I very much needed to make some changes in my life. It is strange the I would decide to take on my weight problem when I was in such a vulnerable state even though I had never been good at losing weight even when I was feeling fine. SparkPeople's healthy living tools have been a great help to me in learning to plan and eat healthier meals, in finding out that I really can exercise, in lifting my spirits and my self-esteem, in losing weight and feeling better physically and emotionally. Anti-depression meds and counseling helped as well, but I believe participating in this community has a lot to do with my ability to overcome this depression and moderate my grief just in time to enjoy the beautiful springtime that is breaking out all around me!

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus