There is something to take away from depression.

We have all experienced it. I’m referring to the less severe, acute, situational depression. The fog that settles in for days or weeks. The numbness of going through the motions.

We can’t see the take-away at the time. In fact, there is little we can see. Our vision is significantly limited. Sometimes, the only reason we move forward is because of routine. We know where we’re going because we’re repeating what we’ve done many times.

We have little energy or focus to reflect on what we can learn through the experience. All we can do is survive. But there is a pebble to pick up in the cloudy fog. There is something small to take along and examine in the light.

The pebble we carry out of the depression might give us a bit of understanding. Or it might not. It might give us a reminder of where we’ve been and how we’ve progressed. It might encourage us to continue to make one decision at a time, to be honest with ourselves and others, to build authentic relationships with others and with God so that when we’re in the dark fog again, we have a trustworthy foundation to orient and guide us forward.

Reach down and pick up the pebble. It is worth its weight.