In the Shadows of a Giant

Mental health is a subject that most people don't discuss. This book is my journey and struggle with depression, anxiety and death. The poems depict the dark recesses of my mind and how I view my life and place in the world. I suffered a concussion in 2017 which truly altered my being and my future. My battle is not over and harder times are ahead. I hope this book makes you think about your own mental health and how to deal with it, even if you're not the one suffering.

Mental health is a subject that most people don't discuss. This book is my journey and struggle with depression, anxiety and death. The poems depict the dark recesses of my mind and how I view my life and place in the world. I suffered a concussion in 2017 which truly altered my being and my future. My battle is not over and harder times are ahead. I hope this book makes you think about your own mental health and how to deal with it, even if you're not the one suffering. My father passed away just as I was beginning to write. I talk about my relationships with my parents and how mental health as affected me my whole life. My journey is not over and there will continue to be battles that I must fight and overcome. We take life for granted and don't plan enough for tomorrow. Life is precious and even our children need to understand the importance of good mental health and a strong family unit. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much I enjoyed writing and sharing my story with you.

Ingrid J. Goddard grew up in Montreal, Qc, Canada. She attended Concordia and McGill Universities and studied small business management and finance. She worked at the English Montreal School Board in various positions for 15 years and later moved to Ottawa, Ontario to work for the federal government. Ingrid has been writing short stories and poems since high school and published some of her work in a literary magazine named Kola. She continued to write poetry and other projects including an analysis of grants and contributions accountability which was published in the financial journal FMI. In 2017 Ingrid suffered a concussion which altered her life and brought mental illness to the forefront of her being. Now medically retired, Ingrid is focused on writing, painting and other artistic works.