…Now I have a blog? Understanding Mental Health

“My sadness is like a cloud: it shows up, blocks the sun, and brings a coldness. It takes away warmth & makes Mom want to cry a little bit.”

That’s how Mom’s Cloud began, not as a book, but as an analogy. A way to explain my own depression sadness to my daughter, and well really be honest with myself.

For a long time, I believed my depression was something to get rid of. I approached therapy like a problem to “just” solve, thinking, “fix me-I should be happy.” I wanted someone to teach me how to… be different.

But healing didn’t come from erasing my reality. It came from learning to live with it. I’ve come to accept that hard days are part of my story. They don’t define me, and they certainly don’t make up all of me. (Though ask me on a bad day, and I may argue against every word I just said.)

It’s a balance. I always hope for more good days than bad ones. But the hard days have shaped me.

My anxiety made me a planner.

My depression made me a talker.

My unease made me a doer.

Those parts of me have brought me creative outlets, friendships, and countless memories.

Living with mental health challenges shapes my every day. And talking about emotions becomes my storytelling.

I don’t always see the sunshine behind the cloud in real time. When I’m in it, I’m in it. The weight feels real, heavy, and unmoving. But deep down, I try to remember: clouds don’t last forever. It teaches me to hold onto the bright days more tightly when they come.

And that’s the backstory behind Mom’s Cloud and the Beach Adventure. A story born from a bedtime conversation, rooted in emotion, and built to help children, well everyone, understand.

“Have you had conversations like this with your child? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.”