You’ve never seen her breaking. Her laughter is the loudest in the room. There’s a glint in her eyes whenever she flashes a smile.
Top of her class. Master of the arts.
She is practically who you wish to be.
How does she carry the burden of many?
Doesn’t she bear hers? Well, she is functional so she must be fine. Lucky girl.
Everyone comes to her with a burden of their own and she bears it, helps them work through it, a solution provider.
She is on autopilot all the time. Dark humor seems to be a fortress. She is an interesting one.
What am I trying to say here? Sometimes the most functional people are the ones truly breaking. They hold it down, get it together and sometimes bare parts of themselves in ways they hope you won’t miss. They hope they’d get at least an “are you okay?” and you won’t just ask if you'd care to sit with them and choose to hear them and understand them.
It’s with your words also. You cannot know the next person's mental state, but you have the power to choose kindness.
It’s heavy, the things people carry. Choose to be one less problem.
Men have been sold a thought where they believe they should shove it down, getting fed with “you’re a man”
I call it fallacy and I say bullcrap.
Everyone is allowed emotional vulnerability.
Ever tried to stuff a bag more than it can fit?
Good, I’ll leave you with that thought.
Yes, this piece is rambled but it’s my thought as heavy as it is. It is raw, it is unfiltered and maybe even weak just like the emotions we carry.
• Notice changes.
• Listen without judgement.
• Don’t be dismissive, pay attention to the words people spew.
• Encourage therapy
• Report cases where you notice the person could potentially be of harm to themselves.