COPING WITH MENTAL HEALTH

I love painting old, majestic churches but it is very hard to find one where the parking lot is big enough for you to stand back far enough to view the whole building in all its glory. But here's an exception: a beautiful church on a hill overlooking the Credit River: St.Peter's Erindale Anglican Church... may not have done it justice but will give it a few more tries over time...

COPING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
I went to a funeral
A couple of weeks ago
I didn't really want to go
Cos a funeral was just going to be another reminder of Dad

It was for my neighbors' daughter
Who had hurled herself into Niagara Falls

The pain etched on the faces of her loved ones
The heaviness in their hearts that weighed their voices down
As they gathered strength to eulogise before the crowds

I had met her
A bright and shinning star
When she was on her meds and doing well
But she kept thinking she didn't need the meds
Which in turn plunged her into another round of darkness

When you are well, swear to yourself you will take your meds
For there is no shame whatsoever
Your body has just been wired a little differently
It really has nothing to do with who you really are
But it sure interferes with who you can be

Who you can be 
Is someone who is there for your family
They need you more than you think you burden them
When you're gone
They blame themselves that they had not helped you more
That they were not vigilant enough to catch you in your darkest hour

But you can live your dream well like everyone else 
When you and your doctor work out the right program
And you have to let everyone hold your hand 
While you may have to fight, fight to stick to that plan

It'll be all well worth the painful effort
I have seen it in another friend who did just that
And she's here for me and countless others who need her to be thier friend.... xoxo