Libby, it has been 15 years now, but after Hurricane Hugo, I watched my own mother drop into a terrible depression. I can still remember the day after the hurricane hit their town and we drove up with a car full of ice, and there was my mother, in the middle of the mess, raking up a small, visible patch of grass. She had to do something, I guess, in the midst of huge trees blown down all around their home. The horror of the hurricane itself, plus the devastation on her town, really got to her. It took her over a year to snap out of it, but she did. And she didn't have the losses you have endured with pets. Theirs was more of the whole landscape and beauty of their town.

It's going to take some time for you to get past what you've experienced this year. Just take it one day at a time, and try to accomplish one thing each day that improves life in your home. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and depressed. I'm even trying this solution in my own life and we haven't had to deal with the things you have. I think the best things that work for me are taking a dog and walking for a while, and spending time with my husband and children, outdoors, whether it be playing ball with them, gardening, cooking out on the grill, or just taking a walk with them and the dogs at dusk. I also find that prayer and quiet time help me to get things into focus as well.

I am keeping you in my prayers and hoping that each day will be a bit easier for you, my friend.

Logan