The winter season of a person's life isn't meant to be a sad, hopeless existence.
Marie Garner, a lady whose life was turned upside down due to major life changes, suffered from this kind of existence.
These changes caused anxiety and depression that went unrecognized, and therefore unresolved.
What follows is Marie's story.
Back in the early 1980s, Marie left her home of over 30 years to move into a senior citizen apartment complex in her neighbourhood.
Despite some sadness over leaving her home, she was also excited to be starting a new life in her apartment.
Marie had fun in her new place.
She met new friends and threw family parties in the complex's community room.
She dressed up in costumes for the annual Halloween parties.
She enjoyed the company of her children and grandchildren in her compact apartment with its Oriental décor.
She would travel to Arizona by airplane, all by herself, to visit her daughter and son-in-law.
On the plane, she'd always start a new friendship with someone.
Fast forward several years: old age caught up with Marie.
She had to give up her life of independence and move into an assisted living facility.
She was forced to give up many of her treasured possessions (there's not too much you can fit into a room shared with two other ladies).
She became more dependent on her children and was often in the hospital for the complications that come from heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
It took Marie a long time to adjust to her new life.
In fact, I'm not certain that she ever did adjust.
In the back of her mind, she clung to the thought of going back to her old life.
She never really bounced back and became her "old self" again.
She suffered even more when her only son died at the age of 50, a week after she moved yet again; this time, into a nursing facility in northern Michigan.
Is it simply a "given" that older people suffer from depression? Experts would say that while it isn't a normal part of aging, it's more common than we might think.
Millions of elder Americans suffer from it, and only a small portion of them obtain treatment.
Often, this is because symptoms of depression in the elderly are often mistaken for other age-related conditions.
These include dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and heart disease, just to name a few.
Marie suffered from memory problems and was confused at times.
While in the nursing home, for example, she thought she was back in the assisted living complex downstate.
Normally a person who made friends easily, she withdrew from social activities.
She didn't sleep well, and felt hopeless.
These are all symptoms of elderly depression.
In Marie's case, it was those major life changes that caused her mental health to suffer.
These changes are common for many of the elderly - the death of a spouse or other loved one, chronic illness, and a loss of independence, among other factors.
Some people have the resilience that helps them bounce back from these things; others do not.
Other risk factors include living alone, being a woman, certain medications, living with chronic pain, and a family history of depression.
Sadly, the winter of Marie's life, in what should have been her "golden years," were diminished due to her depression.
If her children had realized that their mom suffered from this mental illness, they could have sought help.
Her doctor could have provided a diagnosis by talking to her about her specific symptoms.
Marie's physician could have prescribed an anti-depressant (though health experts do point out that if a person is on other medications, the risk of negative reactions would need to be considered).
Along with medication, she could have gotten some form of therapy from a mental health professional.
She could have received help by being part of a support group.
Proactive attention may have made all the difference in Mary's outlook on life, and provided her with a happier, healthier old age.