In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien has this quote, which always inspires me. It goes like this “Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.”
Its something that always gives me hope. When my mind plunges me into darkness, when depression rules, when I struggle, I hold onto the hope that good things will come, natural as the sun. It reminds me that if the natural world can endure, so can I.
Its happened to me several times. I have had to travel through dark valleys, to find the sunshine. I endured that terrible Christmas, with Moorfields and depression, to get a pretty awesome grade for my degree despite the circumstances. I struggled with the job search, applying for so many things, and lost hope several times along the way. But after a lot of hard work, and volunteering, I got this wonderful role. I have endured so many rejections for stories, but have had more published in the last three years than any other.
And its happened again. In March, I struggled with mental health. I suffered from paranoia, anxiety attacks, panic attacks, depression, and much more. I got through it, trekked through the darkness rested and recovered. And now, the sun is shining again. I got a promotion, to a permanent position, something I thought was only a silly dream this time last year. And one of my flash fictions has been published, in the same week. just as it did before in July.
Its a quote that stays with me. For I know that good things will happen, even if I have to travel through long dark roads to get there.
