We come here and share our pain or ask for advice and sympothy from other people who are fighting the same demons as ourselves. I look at my average day and realize that the majority of the time I am happy and content. My wife and I are commited to making our marriage work and making each other the primary focus of our lives. But D-day was not that long ago and I am still haunted by ghosts from time to time. Misery loves company and we need the suport of others; but depression feeds on depression so where do we find a middle ground?<P>So I want to share with you a typical day just to say that it ain't all bad.<P>The alarm going off is our signal for a last chance to snuggle before the work day starts. Work is ... well, it's work. I now use this time and place to work on my social interaction; something I let die during my depression. In the afternoon, if we didn't get to have lunch together, I will send her an email or she will call me at my office. I write because I never know if she is in her office and if she is, she is usually with a kid (She is a counselor at school). We come home in the afternoon, I cook supper, she takes care of some paperwork or reads a book and then we attack the house together. Dishes, laundery, yard work and such; all the while chasing the kids around. 9:00PM is "our time". Our daughter (6) is in bed and our son (15) usually retires to his room to do homework and listen to the radio. Twice a week we go to the gym. Sometimes we sit on the back porch and discuss politics. Sometimes we hold each other and appoligze for what we have put each other through. It's a very nice life. Especially when we both look for "targets of opertunity" to keep the spontinaity active and avoid making the routine a ritual.<P>It's not always this way. About 65% of the time I am happy andglad to be alive. 30% of the time I feel no pain. The last 5% is a painful void of despair. I just wanted to let you know about the other 95% of my life.

Joe,<P>Ready for a really boring day?? <P>I get up and get 2 of the boys off to school. Then I check in here. Then the youngest gets up and gets breakfast. He usually goes out to play in the yard and I spend the morning and part of the afternoon doing housework and checking email or calling friends. Run errands if I need to. Boys get home from school. They play and do homework while I fix dinner. Clean up from dinner, bathe kids and put them in bed at 9. Then I spend the evening and a big part of the night either online or doing laundry or both! I still only sleep about 4 hours a night! <P>And that is how every day is here in a nut shell!<P>Mitzi

Hi Joe and Mitzi!<P>Mitzi, my day is much like yours but I have only one toddler to contend with. I get up around 9am with him, get him nice and fed, read some books with him, maybe put on a Veggie Tales for him while I try and get some stuff done around the house. He goes down for a nap, I play on the computer and watch TV. He gets up and eats and it's more playtime with him and I start getting ready for work if I work that day (I work part-time as a bartender). If I work I get home around 3am and mess around on the computer awhile. If I don't I usually stay up half the night (I'm a huge night owl and that's MY time) working on things or hanging out on the computer. I generally only get 5-6 hours a night myself!

OKay, my days are hecktic but usually fun....<BR> <P>We(I should say husband) wakes up about 5, slowly wakes me up with snuggles and kisses and back rubs(I have a bad back). He gets the kids up for school(10,8,6,5,4,). Usually the little ones are my job(he usually is gone for work by 7:30). He checks his email before work(we exchange egreetings all the time, cheaper than cards!!). He lets me know of his plans. <P>I get up with little girls, feed breakfast, shower, check emails while combing my hair. I take litttle girls to school. I come home and do a little housework and start in on homework. I takes breaks by lurking here, sending love cards to hubby, bible studying or praying.<P>I break for lunch, husband comes in everyday for lunch. We exchange our days events and share a few kisses.<P>Afternoons consist of homework and housework or a nice horseback ride with my husband.<P>Evenings are dedicated to kids and homework, supper, animals, horses , yard work ect.<P>Bedtime is 7:30 for kids us it is 10(usually) where we snuggle up to sleep for another crazy day.<P>Our days get better and better. I have to take breaks from here because the pain is so much at times. Because my recovery comes more and more everyday, I find I lose the sympathy for people when spending too much time here. Although, womens bible study is fun..... so is God....I love my husband... <P>mercy