All my life I have fought with my emotional “demons.” I know that the problem is genetic, or physiological, or whatever causes such things beyond situations, because I have had a wonderful life.

But in spite of having a naturally happy dispostition–to the point of being considered naive by those who don’t understand–sometimes the demons grab my heart and wring out all the joy and gratitude and even faith. When they do, I am immobilized. The world actually seems darker, and I cannot find the next step.

In Frozen 2–a Disney movie of all places–Anna experiences a terrible grief at the loss of her sister, and though she is merely a cartoon character, the song she sings was obviously written by someone who has known this pain. Although it is a little long, I’m going to share the lyrics in their entirety because I’m not the only one who experiences this, and maybe the words will help you get up and start moving the way they do me. And once I am moving, I am better.

God bless you.

Do the Next Right Thing

I’ve seen dark before
But not like this
This is cold
This is empty
This is numb
The life I knew is over
The lights are out
Hello, darkness
I’m ready to succumb

I follow you around
I always have
But you’ve gone to a place I cannot find
This grief has a gravity
It pulls me down
But a tiny voice whispers in my mind
“You are lost, hope is gone
But you must go on
And do the next right thing”

Can there be a day beyond this night?
I don’t know anymore what is true
I can’t find my direction, I’m all alone
The only star that guided me was you
How to rise from the floor
When it’s not you I’m rising for?
Just do the next right thing
Take a step, step again
It is all that I can to do
The next right thing

I won’t look too far ahead
It’s too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath
This next step
This next choice is one that I can make

So I’ll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing
And with the dawn, what comes then
When it’s clear that everything will never be the same again?
Then I’ll make the choice
To hear that voice
And do the next right thing