The Ladybug

Tag: New blog content

  • BIG Announcement…I Wrote a Book!

    BIG Announcement…I Wrote a Book!

    It’s a memoir! Welcome, readers, to the 50th post of The Ladybug Blog! I am excited and humbled to have made it to the 50th blog post, and I wanted to make this entry special. Here is the memoir elevator pitch…The working title of my book is:

    The Diary of a “Crazy” Person

    A Journey of Faith Through My 20’s and 30’s Living with Mental Illness

    I wrote this book at two very different times in my life, ages 26 and 27, and ages 38 and 39. It has been a passion project for me for a long time. Each chapter is a journal entry covering my experiences as a young woman living with chronic mental and physical illnesses. This book focuses mainly on my mental health journey, although I do address my medical challenges as well to a smaller extent. I believe that it is impossible to separate the mind and body. The title of the book is meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, as the word crazy is used in a negative way far too often when people with mental health struggles are described or stigmatized in society. My hope with this memoir is to take the reader past all of the labels and stigma, and bring you into the thoughts and emotions of what my life has been like these last two decades. My faith in God, as well as the love of my family and friends, and the work of some wonderful professionals, has provided me with incredible support throughout my journey. I hope that you will step into my world and both laugh and cry as you travel through reading The Diary of a “Crazy” Person.

    What makes my book unique? I feel that the timeline of the book, which describes both my 20’s and 30’s, provides readers with insight into how one can stabilize when dealing with chronic illnesses over time. My book is full of my darkest moments, and I do not hold back in my descriptions of mental and physical suffering. However, the overall message of the book is not bleak like so many mental health memoirs. My story is one of hope and light, as I find healing while my faith and support increases over time. I will let you in on a sneak peek of the ending message, which is that I have evened out and built strength mentally throughout the years. This message is important to me, because God is Good, and through Him, all things are possible. Too many mental health memoirs only focus on the pain, and I want my readers to see both my struggles and my triumphs. I endeavor in this book to paint a picture that is not just black and white, but full of the grey tones which more accurately describes the process of recovery.

    As I type this book description, I am close to my 40th birthday. I can honestly say that I feel the most mentally stable now than at any other point in my life. The positivity and gratitude in my heart at this stage in my life is amazing considering the rough experiences I have lived through due to my chronic illnesses. And that is the take-away I desperately want to share. Never give up, because there is always a new dawn. The sun rises, and you’re blessed with another day and a new chance. No matter the difficulties you face, God is there with you. He has always been there with me, even when I turned away.

    Now comes the part where I need your help! I finished the original rough draft of my book manuscript in May 2026. Since then, I have edited it once fully myself, and then had a kind friend edit it in June 2026. I am now doing a 3rd edit of my manuscript myself, and I would love your assistance! I welcome any offers to edit my book further. Please let me know if you would like to read through the rough draft of my manuscript. I am also looking for referrals to professional editors. In addition, I have a goal of seeing my book published. I am currently reviewing my options for self-publishing, hybrid publishing, or landing a professional publishing contract. My time has been busy researching all three possibilities. Please let me know if you can share advice on this process, or if you can provide contacts to book agents or publishers.

    I ask you, Ladybug readers, to consider supporting my efforts as an author with the memoir I have written. My prayer is to reach your emotions and minds in a new way and change your perspective on mental illness. This is my invitation: will you join me on my new challenge of being a blog entry writer AND book author? Thank you!

    In Love and Gratitude, G.

    PS If you or a loved one is struggling with mental illness, please visit The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at the following link: https://afsp.org/

    PSS To read more of my writing please visit my archive of blog posts at the following link: https://www.theladybug86.com

    More updates to come!

  • Welcome to The Ladybug 2026: My 3 Goals for the New Year! 

    Welcome to The Ladybug 2026!  If you are already a reader of my blog, thank you, and if you are new, here is a little bit of what to expect for the new year!  The themes for The Ladybug in 2025 were: Religion, Politics, and Lifestyle.  I wrote 33 posts during 2025, including an introduction.  In addition, I wrote, “Gaelle’s World,” so that my readers could learn a little about me and my motivations for the blog content.  So, let’s talk about what to expect this year as I write out my 3 personal goals.  These are not “resolutions,” they are goals.  The difference in my eyes is that the word resolution implies that something in life needs to be fixed, and for me, goals implies that I am simply adding some new exciting guides to my lifestyle.  The Ladybug, therefore, will still include themes of religion and politics, but I will not limit myself to those topics.  I would like to expand my lifestyle posts to discuss any content that I feel passionate about as the world continues to spin and change around us.   

    So, ready?  Here goes: 

    Goal 1) Increase time with God and connection to the Spirit of light and love.  I find that I can only survive life’s harsh realities and difficulties with the help of a Higher Power.  I cannot weather the journey alone.  Last year, I described myself as a “Progressive Christian,” but now I am not sure which label for my faith in God is best.  With the rise of the Christian Nationalist movement in the USA, I am uncomfortable to use the term Christian for fear that people will think that I have a right-wing political affiliation.  This could not be further from the truth, as I am a left-leaning liberal, and more and more I agree with the socialist Democrats such as AOC and Bernie Sanders.  The core of my faith is the belief that I must be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need in a hurting world, and that includes the poor and those who are immigrants.  I believe that strength comes from God, not from myself, and so daily devotions that include guided meditations, Bible reading, and journal time are crucial.  If I want to spread love, I must first infuse myself with the love of Jesus.  Devotional time is like an oxygen mask to me, and after I put it on, I can then help others. 

    Goal 2) Learn how to rest in a healthy way.  As I have written previously on The Ladybug, I struggle with a multitude of chronic illnesses, the most difficult of which are hEDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobile subtype) and Bipolar Disorder, Type 2.  I like to go, go, go, but then my body collapses, and I am quite literally bedridden.  In addition, when I have too much stress, my anxiety soars, and then I must have medication adjustments for my psychiatric meds.  Trust me, neither of these circumstances is fun.  However, I see two different therapists, one for my physical-health problems, and one for my mental-health problems, and they both told me at the end of the year 2025 that I must focus on learning the art of rest. This news was not welcome to my ears, because I am someone who is extroverted and loves to be busy.  Whether it is helping my local church, doing college coursework, or participating in charity walks such as 5k’s, this girl likes to aim for the stars.  However, the universe is quite literally telling me to slow down.  So, I am going to attempt in the new year to build in “rest days,” and learn to take better care of myself. 

    Goal 3) Live a simpler lifestyle, including decreasing my material possessions.  At the current moment, I feel like I am drowning in “stuff.”  This must end.  I need to practice what I preach with regard to my faith.  I have never wanted to be rich, and I feel choked by how many material goods I own.  Jesus called His disciples in the Bible to a simple life following Him, and I would like to live the same way.  I need to clean, de-clutter, and donate what is clogging my world.  Quality family and friend time are much more important to me than having many goods to hold onto.  I plan to discuss further my successes and struggles with simplifying my life in posts on The Ladybug, so stay tuned!   

    Well, readers, there are some of my thoughts as I enter the new year, as well as some of the themes that you can expect me to write about in 2026 in the blog.  I encourage reader participation, so please leave comments and feedback either here on WordPress, or on my social media pages (Facebook: Gaelle McLoud or Instagram: @gaellemcloud and Substack: @gaellemcloud). If you tune into my Instagram account, which is public, you can see a little more of how I live my life day-to-day.  I hope that you will join me in the adventure of 2026!  

    PS: This is the year I turn 40 years old! My birthday is in October 2026, so join me as I celebrate the adventure all year long! 🙂