Ask Azra: Seasonal Depression; Battling the Blues with Lights

Dear Azra,

I hate this time of year. The holidays are a special kind of Hell for me. Everyone is so happy and trading presents and spending time with family. And here I am sitting alone in a dark apartment. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. How can I get over this? Why can’t I just enjoy the holidays like everyone else?

Sincerely,

Depressed

Dear Depressed,

This is a common phenomenon that occurs often within your species. A lot of times people are overwhelmed with the intense social responsibilities and expectations placed upon them by the season of holidays. The important thing to understand is that you are not alone. Millions of people are affected the same way.

What I’ve learned during my time with the human race, however, is how resilient they are. Also, how the littlest things, the smallest advances in technology can remind them of the beauty they are surrounded with.

So, my advice. When you are feeling this down again, when you are stuck in that darkened apartment you described, do something for me. Go look at Christmas Lights.

That’s right. Christmas Lights.

Grab yourself some hot chocolate and observe all of the multicolored LED goodness. I promise, you will feel better afterward and, you’ll have had some hot chocolate!

Go Towards the Light!

Azra

***Disclaimer***Azra is not someone to take advice from. He’s not even human- he’s an exiled angel that gets his kicks dispensing horrible advice to people. However, this particular blog isn’t bad advice at all. Remember, the holidays aren’t jolly for everyone. Check in on your fellow man. If you need it, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255, you can also go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

New Year, New Blogs: A Peek Into What’s In Store For 2018

We are over a week into this New Year. So far so good, right? Well, following my own advice, I’ve decided to change up the way I do blogs this year. All of them are geared towards helping people (really, it won’t be all bad advice).

Don’t worry, Azra will still be dispensing all of his horrible advice, but it will be in a new way. Instead of focusing just on parenting, He’s decided to take on general questions about life, love, pop culture, history, even cooking. Yes, Azra has talked me into a new blog series for him called “Ask Azra” and it will be about as cheesy and terrible as his parenting blog (don’t tell him I said that).

In addition to Azra potentially ruining people’s lives, I am also introducing two new blog series: Writers Helping Writers and Indie Book Review.

Writers Helping Writers is a topic by topic overview of how to go from first draft to published novel and everything in between. This stems from my own personal experiences in the hopes that it will help aspiring authors on their own journey.

Indie Book Review is just that. I will read and review one Indie produced book a month. These books I will have gotten from my travels (I have met these authors either at conventions or book festivals) or by your suggestion. I’ve got a few good ones lined up already that I can’t wait to get into.

There is one more thing... I need your help to do all of this. That’s right, you are an integral part of my 2018 blog experiment! Here’s what I need you to do:

If you have questions for either the Ask Azra or Writers Helping Writers segments, let me know. Also, if you have an Indie produced book you want to spread the word about, give me the title and the author name and I will take the recommendation. It’s super easy to let us know your questions and recommendations. Simply drop us a line at fivesmilingfish@gmail.com. Or, you can comment on this or any posted blog. Additionally you can leave us a comment on Facebook. We really do read and appreciate any and all messages and shares.

Thank you for your help. Here’s hoping the rest of 2018 will go as well as this first week has!

Smiles,

Kira

Ask Azra! Calling All Queries

Azra needs your help!

He’s dying to give you the advice you so desperately need via a new blog series “Ask Azra”.

With the unmitigated success of his parenting blog, Azra’s decided to stretch his wings, so to speak, and answer any and all questions you may have. He’ll answer anything, though he does want me to convey that he prefers either parenting issues or matters of the heart.

So, how do you Ask Azra?

There are so many easy ways to send your question in:

1.       Comment on the Ask Azra! Calling All Queries blog post on www.fivesmilingfish.com/kiras-blogs

2.       Send your question to fivesmilingfish@gmail.com

3.       Ask directly on social media via facebook, or twitter under five smiling fish.

Help an angel out, let Azra give you his two cents.

Smiles,

Kira