January 2024: Searching for the Light

Life has a way of turning on a dime. That was certainly case in December. For those that aren’t aware, we have a daughter with an intellectual disability who faces other challenges as well. She lives with us, and my husband and I are her caregivers. Last month saw her wrestling with some intense mental health challenges. She spent time in the hospital receiving care for which we are incredibly grateful. We still have major challenges to overcome but we are seeing gradual improvement each week. However, it was very hard witnessing her struggling within a severely underfunded healthcare system that is not designed to be inclusive. During the longest night of this winter season I’ve searched for the light.

Who remembers the TV show Northern Exposure? I loved that show! John Corbett played the role of Chris Stevens, a radio host who quoted Walt Whitman, Jung and Dostoevsky and provided an offbeat philosophy and commentary on the goings-on in Cicely, Alaska. One of his memorable rambles was about finding the light.

During this process of breakdown and recovery, I haven’t written anything. I’ve managed some reading. I’ve done some neurographic art doodles. We’ve gone to therapy. We’ve made our way to the other side. It’s time to start a new normal, which means a new routine. Part of that for me means figuring out how to get some writing done. Writing creates a light in me.

So, I started with a blog post.

Until next time…

The post January 2024: Searching for the Light appeared first on karyngood.com.

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Published on January 12, 2024 06:44
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message 1: by Alison (new)

Alison Lohans Karen I'm so very sorry to hear of this difficult season. I think mental health issues are difficult to comprehend, and a scary topic for some. With your daughter's other ongoing issues, this put so much more on your plates - and with our poorly-funded health care system, it must've been extraordinarily hard to get the care she needed. My heart goes out to all of you, with hopes that 2024 will be a much "stronger" year. Bravo to you, writing about this challenging and painful time.


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