So, how are you doing by now?  As for me and my house, the economy, world condition, issues affecting all ages seem to be blossoming like dandelions in early spring.  One of my little nephews, Max,  was caught saying and doing something with which his parents  disapproved.  Scolded, he remakred to his brother “Charlie, this ain’t lookin too good. ”

That’s a pretty appropriate summary of our present condition.  “This ain’t lookin’ too good.” So, other than panic and settling into a heavy depression what are the options?  For those of us whose parents were a part of the great depression, we have had frequent reminders in our lives of what it was like and how it must have been.

Now, with the present set of circumstances profoundly affecting some, but not others, we are at least getting a hint of what things could be like.  It is tempting to go negative.  It is fairly easy to read the Huffington Post and other online news to discover just how depressing things are getting.  It would be easy to decry the state of the nation and the world to the point of pulling the covers over one’s head every morning. 

But, we can’t do that, can we?  Oh sure we can.  But to little avail.  Tough living comes with life and  certainly with aging.  The challenges multiply by the day.  The threats grow graver.  The ailments and pains are more frequent.  But giving in and giving up is the coward’s way.  Stalwart seniors choose to face it down.  Retreating to some imaginary cave or hermitage will only offer  tempoary refuge. 

Living in the here and now, no matter its several bombardments, is the choice of those, who, like their parents and grandparents, toughed it out in the 30′s and helped to produce the 50″s.  They may have been younger than than we are now.  But, the clue is they didn’t give up.  They were innovative, imaginative, creative, and they acted with strength.  Are we called to do less?  Sure, losing some of that nest egg, put away for decades, hurts.  Of course, changing lifestyles in midstream requires being tough.  Exercising principle is not a new phenomenon.  It may need dusting off, but we can do it. 

So get about defining your life in a depression.  Don’t let it beat you.  You are still in charge.  You can do it.  We can get through this ugly morass, created by some ugly machinations, on the part of greedy and self serving beings.   If you can’t forgive them, at least don’t give them power to occupy your time.  WE all need  that time to do what will aid you in surviing this depression.