The Upside of Down

Important Disclaimer - this post is not intended to diminish the real pain experienced by someone with clinical depression.  It is merely an attempt to find the silver lining in a really crappy day.

I took a sick day the other day because I got home quite late from rehearsal (that being the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street) with a sore throat.  I thought if I got lots of sleep I could kick it in the butt and go on with the show!  Awakening after a whopping 4 hours of sleep, and unable to return to slumberland, I found myself, as the Grinch says "leaking"  - that dreadful escaping of liquids from the tear ducts and possibly every other opening on the face, including enlarged pores.

This lovely process ensued for about 5 hours, on and off....and though it is not necessary to explain why I was experiencing a Niagara of soul tears....I must share some of the insights that came during this day of being so low that not even a Christmas movie or chocolate held any attraction whatsoever.  I know, right?

So here's what I found out.....
 - apparently the constant crying, blowing, honking and sobbing have the capacity to move that virus causing the sore throat to ease on down the road.  It was incredible.  The sore throat was gone.  Never mind that many other symptoms moved in to take its place.

 - one of those symptoms was the puffy eyes.  And I thought to myself - hey this is like free botox!  Too bad we can't cry around the lips .... :/

- on this day, the scale was suddenly a little friendlier.  I had actually lost 2 1/2 pounds!  I guess that's what happens when your heart goes so far south that a trip to the kitchen to scavenge for even the most classic of comfort/stress foods seems like an aerobic workout.  And my costumes were actually looser that night.....but do I really want to stay in that state just so the red dress looks good?  Hmmm a conundrum for sure.

- people will stay out of your way.  When you've got that look on your face that's a combination of Attila the Hun and a child whose balloon just popped, they just don't want to take the chance of unleashing whatever lurks beneath the surface.  Heck, they don't even comment that you're quite late for your final dress rehearsal.  Too bad that doesn't work in the workplace.

 - Kaia will never leave me to suffer alone.  Sometimes she watched me from across the room....sometimes she just sat beside me on the couch....and once I even got the special spa treatment of a canine nostril cleansing.  Now that's love.