Stressball

When you have someone in your life who knows your struggles and consistently reaches out – whether or not you have the capacity to respond back… I’m so grateful to be surrounded by such people somehow. I’m starting to understand how the socialization factor benefits your mental health. Although others can’t do the work for you, they can provide a new voice, new ideas, and new neural pathways to be exposed to. Ones that may counteract the depressive thought patterns that you may have tunnel-visioned yourself to seeing. I’m glad to be able to call you a friend. Thank you.

Friend

I wake up every morning and look at myself in the mirror, wondering if my life would have been different. As a child, I didn’t know better. I thought it was “love” hidden in “secrets.” As I got older, I understood that love doesn’t hide. So I told my secrets and some people were upset. History had repeated itself, but how was I supposed to know? Others didn’t believe me or told me that I should forgive. But why should a child forgive a man? With my secret out in the open and secrets confessed. Love was lost, no longer hidden, but it was never really love, just secrets. I used to wonder if I would ever get away from my secrets. I wanted to know if all love was always hidden. I grew, and I understood; I make love what it is, and I can give and take it. It is mine to make unconditional and not hidden from the world. I open my eyes in the morning, and I look in the mirror. Could it have been different if I didn’t know “love” so young? Could I have been different without secrets and shame? Would my life be different?