Day 112: Mental Health
May 24th, 2023
Dear Disney,
My life isn’t always the happy Disney version I strive to be. There are rainy days, crummy days, and just get through today days. I’d like to write to you about your characters that aren’t always sunny and bright and that’s okay. There is one that sticks out in my mind that you had a hand in creating and there are others that were imagined after your time.
The first character I want to write about is Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. To me, Eeyore is the quintessential gloomy character. And it’s not only him being sad, it’s really how his friends act around his sadness. It’s not a detriment to them at all. They don’t berate or think he’s less than because of his depressive state and I truly value these characters. They take him for who he is and accept his way of thinking and don’t ask him to change. That is such a wonderful and simple thing to do when someone is feeling depressed. When I’m feeling this way, Jim Dear knows how to help me create a ‘comfort nest’ with a blanket, heating pad, water, snacks and a favorite movie. There are other times when I just need to cry and he respects my space. Winnie the Pooh and his friends are still a very relevant source for children to learn about different characteristics and how to respond in a kind way.
The next character who is a pretty obvious pick is Sadness from Inside Out. Sadness seems like a sort of updated version of Eeyore, but with more sass and melodrama. All the emotions in this movie do have a lot more sarcasm, jokes, and quips than the more simple setting of Winnie the Pooh. I do enjoy the humor, but the underlying message happens at the crux of the movie. Riley can no longer pretend to be happy about her family moving. It’s new, different and downright scary to live in a completely different state for her father’s job.
The five main emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust) are no longer enough for Riley to articulate what she’s feeling and she breaks down in front of her parents confessing that she misses her old life. To her surprise both her parents admit the same. This is a tried and true coming of age story and ends with Riley building new and more complex emotions to progress and grow. There are absolutely times when I can see Lady struggle with new and different emotions that resonate with how I felt during middle school. I do make a lot of the same mistakes Riley’s parents make when I see or hear something radically different that what I’m used to seeing from Lady. I have to continue to support and be there for them and trust that we raised a bright, kind, and beautiful person who will find their way on their own time.
The next character doesn’t seem like they would have any problems with depression, but by golly does she ever have a power ballad of her own to sing through it. I’m talking about Anna in Frozen II. She’s in a dark cave and she’s lost her sister and Olaf. She is truly alone again like she was in the first movie, but now she’s completely lost in an unfamiliar and frankly scary place. Here are some lyrics that can articulate some aspects of depression that really stand out to me:
This is cold, this is empty, this is numb
the lights are out
Hello, darkness, I'm ready to succumb
This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down
Can there be a day beyond this night?
I don't know anymore what is true
I can't find my direction, I'm all alone
And yet.
And yet this song pulls you to your feet and lifts you up:
But a tiny voice whispers in my mind
But you must go on
And do the next right thing
Just do the next right thing
Take a step, step again
It is all that I can to do
The next right thing
I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath
This next step
This next choice is one that I can make
So I'll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing
And with the dawn, what comes then
When it's clear that everything will never be the same again?
Then I'll make the choice
To hear that voice
And do the next right thing
I wasn’t really thinking about this song when I came up with my own mantra that is similar to ‘and do the next right thing.’ The one that I came up with for myself is Get Through Today, Just Get Through Today. Sometimes I write the initials GTTJGTT or even just GTT to remind myself it’s just one day. I can make it for 24 hours and then I can make it through the next day. And perhaps it won’t be as bad as it is right now. And it hasn’t failed me yet.
I know these letters my husband and I write are whimsical letters to Walt Disney reminiscing about the legend and stories that have touched our lives. This letter is for everyone and anyone who is reading this and might need some help. There is some information below that you can use or just keep in mind if you know anyone else who needs some help.
Know that you are wanted. You are important. The world needs you here and you make a difference.
If you are having trouble or need assistance you can call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org any time day or night.
Till next time,
Darling
