I think it's safe to
say that everyone is struggling with wrapping their heads around what
took place in Connecticut on Friday morning.
Even friends of mine who so often "stir the pot" on social media are posting how saddened they are.
How shocked.
And horrified.
Some friends avoiding social media all together.
I know I am being sporadic with my own use and posts.
You see, I battle depression.
I have wanted to post about it for so long, but never knew what to say.
I
still don't know what to say, other than I was diagnosed at eighteen
years old and have tried making sense of my mental illness ever since.
So many posts this weekend have mentioned mental illness and its' relation to the events on Friday.
I want to defend myself.
I get really, really sad sometimes.
Typically triggered by something miniscule, I have bouts of emotional struggles that affect everyone around me.
Sometimes I become too quiet.
Or show my sadness with crying.
Or I feel completely sick and struggle doing normal things like laundry.
Okay, I always struggle with laundry, but you get the point.
Sometimes life is just hard for me.
And that doesn't make me a bad person.
Or a risk to others.
And sometimes, when I turn my back during one of my low points, what I really need is for someone to turn to.
This means more than just physically hugging me and telling me you're here for me.
Sedric is really good about that.
I mean, helping me find a place to feel safe emotionally.
A place where happy things can be found.
At any time of day.
No matter where I am in the world.
So here's the plan:
Join me on Instagram with the hashtag #itshappyhere
Feel free to tag your old photos.
Or other photos that you come across in your feed that make you smile.
Simply add the hashtag to any photo that makes you happy.
While on Instagram, we can then all click on the hashtag and see happiness.
We can connect on social media during times when people are only posting things that are hard to read.
We can escape to a tiny corner where we are reminded of the good things.
Of the sweet things in life.
Once more people participate, I will feature some favorite photos from that hashtag here every week.
Eventually, those
posts will be linked to a button on my sidebar, and our little happy
place will be accessible on the internet as well.
I'm hoping my #itshappyhere project will become a movement- allowing friendships to form and calmness to be felt.
I would love for you to join me during this time of struggle and sadness.
I need you.
XO
PS- This post has disappeared and reappeared with terrible HTML that cannot be edited no matter what I do.
Please forgive this craziness.
Another flaw in this life of mine that I hope you can accept.
