Refusing to Sink
Molly and I bought some beautiful duck eggs earlier this week.
Fried, poached and with soldiers they were delicious.
So impressed were Molly and I that we went back to the farm shop and bought this ...
We were both struck with the simple beauty of the goose egg. However when we cracked it open it had gone bad!
As the poor egg was binned it got me thinking about the egg as a metaphor for mental health. Do we judge people by their beautiful and blemish free shells and forget what is going on inside?
Last week I met Alan Heyes founder of a mental health charity that offers Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychological Services and Children and Young Person's Specialist Eating Disorder Therapy.
The day after our meeting former Big Brother contestant Nikki Grahame died from anorexia. We need these charities!
This morning I watched a very moving interview on Sky News with MP Owen Paterson who talked with tragic and candid honesty about the devastation caused by his wife's suicide. He called her suicide a mental heart attack.
https://www.rosepatersontrust.com
Today is an anniversary. 18 years ago my first husband died. Like Nikki Grahame he was only 38 years old. Our dream farm house in Cornwall became hollow and like an egg gone bad I found myself sinking to the bottom.
In 2003 when the internet was new and dial up slow I found a website called 'Young Widows' and read this:
These four words became my life raft to navigate the rough sea that grief had caused me. I was terrified that, like our goose egg, the bitterness of death would turn me rotten inside. However with counselling, family and friends that I could REALLY talk to, my shell, although cracked and a bit worn, did not break and 18 years on my life is great. I have three children I adore and a partner who is everything that I have ever wished for. Most importantly I try not to ignore my mental health and keep my promise to refuse to sink!
More support:
https://www.thegilespractice.org.uk
The Potting Shed products are all made with essential oils intended to create a sense of wellness so don't forget some much needed 'me time'.
As my Grandmother said: All problems can be resolved at the kitchen table.
Take Care
Amanda x