Reaching the end

The past two weeks I will never forget. When I approached Allen with the idea for the Colonial Gothic Bundle of Holding (https://bundleofholding.com/presents/ColonialGothic) I could not predict the reaction. All I wanted was to raise money for a cause I strongly believe in. What I got in return is greater. I learned I was not alone.

I have lived in my personal shadows, afraid to tell anyone of the daily mental battle I face. Yes, I talk openly about some topics, but I never talked about my battles with suicidal tendencies. I did this not out of shame, but out of the desire to protect myself.

Mental health is taboo. It is the topic no one wishes to face, let alone acknowledge. Those who deal with their mental health are always made to feel that they do not matter. That their problems could be fixed by just "cheering up." That it is simply a bad "mood."

I hate speaking for the "we" when I talk about mental health. However, we all share the desire to be healthy, to learn how to manage, and find a few who wish to understand what we go through.

The past two weeks, I have found those who understand. I can never respond to every message I have received from those wishing to share their own stories. I have read every one of them, and I have been touched by all of them.

I hope that at the end of this Bundle of Holding, the conversation continues. I hope that some have learned what someone deals with daily when struggling with their own mental health. I truly hope, that at the end of this, some will finally understand why this fight needs to take place.

It is a disgrace that in this new age of understanding that one of the few areas that still is not understood is mental health.

Mental health is important, it is something that unbeknownst to us, touches all. More of us need to come out of the shadows and tell our story, or the story of a loved one that did not make it. I truly hope that some will be motivated to volunteer with groups advocating for mental health.

I have carried with me since the weekend of June 2015 the death of three close friends. Even though it is two years removed, the pain remains and the sadness at times overwhelms me. Despite all of this I carry on and use that to fuel my desire to help where, and how, I can.

In any case, thank you for taking part in this Bundle. Thank you for donating to the American Foundation for Society Prevention (AFSP.org).

Thank you for sharing your stories with me.

Thank you for asking me about my story.

You still have time to participate in the Colonial Gothic Bundle of Holding. If you already have taken part, I hope that after this you might feel inclined to volunteer.

Thank you for your support, I am grateful beyond words.

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/ColonialGothic