I'm somewhat depressed here around the holidays and my W told me to put it aside for the time being and be joyful as a family. Easier said than done, esp. w/out meds I wrote this sort of as a pick me up to myself to remind me of what I need to do to become joyful and to remind me of who is really important to me around the holidays, my three children.<P>Three Angels<P>We have three angels among us and they are Love, Faith, and Hope.<P>Love came to us first, conceived and born of passion, early in the relationship, something we both wanted very dearly. Love bonded us together forever, but also helped to split us apart. As Love got older, it was clear that Love would not be enough to keep us together. We both tried, but even though Love was very much in both of our hearts, she could not get us to give each other for what we needed.<P>Then came Faith. Faith, as beautiful as her sister, Love, but so much different. Faith needed to be held, touched, treated differently, maybe even coddled some. Love was a spitfire, nothing could hold her down or cause her to go out. Faith, however, was different and needed nurturing. With Faith, all things were possible or at least should have been possible. But, as with Love, Faith got older and also had trouble keeping her parents from finding what was necessary to live life and provide the emotional support that was so desperately needed.<P>Finally, Hope swaggered in. Hope is a little boy, full of energy, daring, fire, and life. He is so confident one minute, then scared the next. Hope is a roller coaster ride. Up and down, twisting turning. The parents figured without Hope, there is nothing. But now Hope is here and the parents still don't know what to do.<P>Our angels, Love, Faith, and Hope, the little miracles God gave us to deepen our love for each other have not succeeded, nor should they have been expected to.<BR>The desire to love one another has to come from within, it is a conscious choice we have to make. Now we know how to love one another and we have to make the commitment to do so. When you are loved and love someone, then joy will come.<P>We cannot rely on angels outside of the two of us to make us joyful. Being happy or joyful is a personal state of mind. Knowing what makes you smile and then choosing to get it, that is how you become joyful. We cannot rely on others to make us happy, we can only allow them to make us happy through a choice we make.<P>I know there are angels among us. I love our three angels so much. They give me so much love, faith, and hope. I can never repay them for that. I can only be the best parent I know how to be and hope for the best. They also make me joyful and for the brief moments in my life when they are around, I will be happy, no matter how down I may be, because I owe them that much.<P>Happiest of Holidays to all.<P><p>[This message has been edited by Sparkydog (edited December 22, 1999).]

Stay Strong and Be Encouraged!!<P>Your fight is not in vain. Trust in God and allow him to order your steps, and you can't go wrong.<P>Your post was encouraging to me.<BR>Thanks so much. I have one little angel. Her name is Tamia. She's definetly my blessing!