LIVING ROOM MEMORIES  55 

(March 25, 2007)

I went for a good long walk with a friend who is also experiencing depression. It was the first dry day of the month. The skies were still cloudy, but bright.

We talked lots, even praying for a while as we walked. Part of our walk took us through forest. We admired the beautiful green of the moss and the skunk cabbage growing in a ditch. My friend was tempted to feel the temperature of the rushing stream we passed. We laughed when she almost fell in.

A most amazing thing happened: When I came home I felt rejuvenated, the cobwebs in my brain had cleared. I felt more alive than I have in a long while. Over the past few hours I haven’t felt depressed. What a relief!

I’ve heard many times about the value of walking to a depressed person, but never thought the effects could be so dramatic. Or is the prozac starting to push me into mania? Don’t think it would happen after only four days though.

I thank God for today’s brightening of my spirits. And now I have another coping strategy I will take a lot more seriously. I have another tool. I will make walking part of my wellness plan.