I don’t want to sound dramatic but it did! Just before my daughter was born my husband returned home from deployment. His PTSD was a bit intense. So when our beautiful baby girl was born I placed myself on the “back burner”. Back burner is putting it lightly. Let’s be honest, I put myself snuggly back in the freezer to be taken care of much, much later. Our daughter had Jaundice. She was on the bili lights 24/7. Hospital visits every other day for more tests, trying to do all the normal upkeep of home and family, trying to heal my body from an intense delivery… 3 weeks later I was exhausted in ways I didn’t know was possible. Trying to be supportive of my husband while taking care of a newborn and a dog meant most days were gone and night would come with growing darkness. I was depressed…REALLY depressed. I didn’t realize how bad till we had a scare that almost cost us everything.
My husband, in his wisdom, told me to go to the craft store. I could spend whatever I wanted (I never went over the top so that was something he didn’t need to worry about) but that I was to come home with a project to do that night. So I bought some paints and wood projects and began imagining what my Cricut could do. Over the next few weeks I would carry on with my days and when I was “supposed to be sleeping when the baby sleeps” at night I painted. Little by little I began to wake from my nightmare. I started to feel like myself again.
My Husband got the counseling he needed through the VA and I started a long journey of healing through creation. Years later I still craft and paint, I still love my Cricut cutting machines and I still find healing when crafting. There are still days of mental struggle but the darkness is much easier to get through knowing that I have light coming and that I made it through some tough times. Now I’m not saying that I didn’t need help other than crafting because I did and still do but creating, running, reading, writing, whatever your passion(s), they are meant to bless our lives and in my life they have blessed my life in a vastness that I was not expecting.
We don’t exist in this life just to exist. We are capable of amazing things! So expand your skills, learn new hobbies, explore new worlds and try new things! Who knows you might find something else you’re good at!
Much Love,
Amy Lou
amyloudesigns.com 