The Pills That You Take to Stay Happy

I pretty much devour anything that Chris Rose writes. I have enjoyed his column since he first started working for the Times Picayune and covered the celerbity news with a great tounge-in-cheek approach that I apply to my own over-the-top obsession with all things Hollywood. After the hurricane I waited with anticipation for his weekly column. Reading his column was my way of making sure that the way I was feeling was okay, that I was not alone in feeling like the wheels were really coming off the proverbial bus and I had no clue how to get them back on. He always made me feel better. The most recent two articles that chronicle his bout with depression and his ultimate decision to help himself are courageous, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I respect Chris Rose more than ever for sharing something so personal with us.

Like most everyone else who has been through the hurricane, I sank into a deep sadness that I never experienced before and, hopefully, will never experience again in the months following the storm. Unlike some people, I had the benefit of being responsible for a 2 and 1/2 month old baby, my first, when the hurricane hit. Any first time mother will probably say that the distraction of motherhood is unparalleled by anything. I believe that La Luz came into our lives in the summer of 2005 to be our distraction. Watching everything fall apart around us was tempered with the hope, love, and joy pouring out of La Luz. There is nothing in the world that could have eased my state of mind like the presence of my very own baby and, because of that, I know that her debut was not a coincidence. So far La Luz has been my Celexa and the dosing seems to be just right. For now I will keep riding this high, thanks to my very own "mothers little helper".

Here she is in the bear hat that mom's neighbor Sue made for her. It is rad!