Feeling overwhelmed by everything that is happening.

[merrily]

14. Hi, diabeticman. Yes, things are frustrating, but we have to

bolster each other.

First, I am sorry that you are feeling down. This is the worst time of year for that, yet, as I am sure you know, it's quite common at this time of year.

Trust me, Pollyanna ain't me. However, I know what works for me and I am going to pass it on, even though it will sound embarrassingly Pollyanna-ish and may not work for you as well it works for me. (As I started typing them below, it struck me that the activities that work for me are the ones that keep me from dwelling on whatever is getting me down--kind of a circuit breaker to interrupt the downward spiral.)

First, I figure out what there is to be grateful for. When you are down, it seems at first that nothing fits that description. But, you mentioned your wife, so you are not going through this alone--and neither is your beloved. So, right there, those are two things for which to be grateful. Keep digging. You will find more. I promise. Maybe you even want to make a list to glance at when things seem bad. Maybe that is something you and your wife can do together or maybe you can work on separate lists and then share them with each other.

Second, I do something for someone else. Maybe, it's just an errand for someone who doesn't get around easily or is down with the flu or something. Maybe it's a visit to someone in the hospital. Or baking a batch of cookies to take to someone or to a nursing home or to the firehouse.

Third, I do what I can to work on the issues that are bothering me, knowing that I am not going to fix all of them, probably not even one of them, but I will make a dent and even a tiny dent is better than just watching it get worse. Maybe it's finding a group that is working on some issue, like the minimum wage, and volunteering with it.

As I said, the specific things that work for me may not work for you. But something will work for you, I promise. You owe it to yourself and to your loved ones to find what that thing is or those things are and then to use them as much as you can.

Best wishes!