Some days my anxiety is so debilitating that I struggle to function like a “normal” human being. On those days, to combat the anxiety I might work on a cozy puzzle, play a comforting video game, read a book or just snuggle with my dogs. My therapist loves that puzzles help my anxiety, but she often comments that puzzles GIVE her anxiety. I know people who go for walks when anxiety is plaguing them. I struggle to leave my house when it’s a bad day. Sometimes my niece will pull me out of the house and distract me. If you struggle with anxiety, how to you deal with it?

September is a month that especially triggers me because of difficult memories. It is 3 years ago this week that I sat by my mothers side for 2 days and watched her struggle for every breath she took during those days, until she ultimately passed. Those images haunt my thoughts. Mistakes on the part of the memory care ward she was in had her missing her end of life meds that would make her comfortable. My mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis is one of the reasons I’m passionate about puzzling. I will do what I can to give myself a fighting chance against the disease. After a particularly long puzzle time or a challenging puzzle, my brain feels tired, but in a good way.

Another reason September has difficult memories, is many years ago in September my house burned down. Back then my dad likened a house fire to death. You lose everything except those you love, because fortunately no one was hurt in the fire. So many blessings and opportunities came from that devastating event, but it also scars you in ways you can’t imagine unless you’ve experienced them as well. It makes my stomach churn to remember seeing the smoke billowing out of the windows of the home I grew up in. It changes you.

So in order to find some light in September (it is my birthday month after all!) I want to make a wish list of 5 puzzles from 5 different brands that I’d love to add to my collection. I’m not sure when/if I’ll end up getting them. But it gives me something to dream about.

I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t start with a Ravensburger Disney puzzle. I collect these. I’ve seen pictures of a Moana one online, but I haven’t seen it for sale yet, so I’ll settle for the Disney’s Magical Book of Fairy Tales, 1500 pieces.

I’m choosing 5 different brands in my Wishlist because I’m trying to try and rate as many brands as I can that I’ll eventually blog about. The next puzzle I’m choosing is called Hue Wormhole from Antelope. It’s the perfect mix of beauty and challenge.

Then I’ve been wanting to try Cloudberries for a while. They have beautiful puzzles and I’ve heard good things about them. This one is called Patchwork.

The fourth puzzle on my wish list is called Puzzle Complaints by Sandra Boynton. She has illustrated some of my kids favorite storybooks when they were little and I think this is just adorable!

And this last one on my wishlist is a bit of a stretch and a crazy one. But I’ve always wanted to try a really big puzzle. It’s called Golden Age of Disney by Trefl. This one is a whopper, but if I ever do get it, I would do it in pieces. I wouldn’t have ROOM to do it as a whole.