“Do you have a plan?” The words make me wince. I shift uncomfortably in my seat because I don’t know the answer. I wait for him to change the subject, but when I look back up my therapist is looking intently at me, his hands folded in front of him, patiently. A year ago, when […]
The Summer/Fall 2017 You Matter Bloggers will be sharing their personal stories in effort to let everyone know that they matter.
It's that time of year again, folks! We're looking for bloggers to join the 2017 Spring/Summer You Matter Blogger Council.
For 180 days out of the year we were together in a high school classroom full of 30 to 50 other kids. Each day I walked into your class with a smile on my face, wondering what today had in store for me. Each day you stood in front of the class and shared your […]
Seven years ago, I sat at the top of the stairs, my knees pulled into my chest, wanting nothing more than to cry but being unable to. I was too tired to cry. I was too tired to lie to my mom when she asked if I had made myself throw up after dinner. I […]
In the middle of December in 2015 I lost my best friend to suicide. The holidays were instantly a dreadful thought to me. I’ve never really had a good family life, so I’ve always made sure my friends knew that I treated them like family, especially during this time of year. She was my kindest […]
To most people, snakes are extremely frightening. They’re slimy, they’re gross, and worst of all, they can bite! They fall in the same category as spiders, according to many people. However, there is a community of people who have a deep love for snakes; myself included. In my journey as a first-time snake owner I’ve […]
I watched the summer tumble into autumn from the window of my hospital room. The colors seemed to burst, all at once, like a firework. Autumn was always my favorite season and always the best time of year for my mental health. Every year, with the falling of the leaves came the lifting of my […]
The holidays are coming up, and that means one thing: lots of food. From your grandma telling you to eat seconds, or thirds…or fourths, to the people telling everyone how they’re living it up before they start dieting as part of their new year’s resolution to get healthy. They all mean well, and many of […]
Grey and red converse. Holey jeans. A grey Kings of Leon concert shirt. The concrete floor and walls closing in on me as I process snippets of the words pouring out of my cellphone. “Suicide…” “Shot…” “At home…” “Gathering tonight…” “Need to attend…” My chest tightened. My stomach churned. I fell to my knees, pulling […]