This title is a Les Mis lyric. I'll let you guess which one.
The Week in Selfies: 5/25/20 - 5/31/20
Well, it’s the last newsletter before the end of the month of May so it’s the last push before my end-of-May donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds in conjunction with the newsletter. As a reminder, for every new free subscription I get, I’ll donate $1 and for every new paid subscription, I’ll donate $5. I’m already planning on donating $100 so this is on top of that. I have four incredible matching donors so any donation goes even farther! And if being a matching donor is something that interests you, let me know.
If you know someone who may fancy this newsletter, I’d love it if you would share it. If you are having a good time with it, maybe consider a social media shout-out. It would mean a lot to me. But mostly, as always, thank you for reading.
CW: discussion of mental health
It’s nearing the end of Mental Health Awareness Month and since it’s a cause that is integral to my person, I'd be remiss if I let this month go by without an acknowledgement.
Monday, May 25, 2020
On May 28, 2020, I posted the above photo on my instagram with the following caption:
we're nearing the end of mental health awareness month. i've struggled with my mental health for a good majority of my life and i think it's important to say that out loud, in case any of this is helpful to anyone else.
in the last year i have worked really hard to finally focus and work on my heart and my mind. i started counseling and have tried so hard to listen to what my body is telling me. it's been difficult because our brains often lie to us (and there are a myriad of global issues to contend with). but ultimately, it has been rewarding. i have a long journey ahead of me but i am excited to see how i learn and grow.
what a month for this to be mental health awareness month. what a fucking month it has been. it has been filled with surprises, sadness, a lot of difficult days, some joy, and a lot of change. most days felt like an uphill battle. through it all i have been thankful for the support in my life, for counseling, and for kindness.
if you've made it this far in the caption, i salute you. we all struggle from time to time. if you are struggling now or ever, i see you. your feelings are valid. i am so impressed with the way you face the world everyday. if you ever need an ear or a shoulder i am here. if you ever need someone to remind you that you are worthy of taking care of yourself, i am here. asking for help is always okay.
thank you to all my people. ❤️ #mentalhealthawareness #therapy
And, you know, the world continues to be a difficult place to be in. Hope is often hard to come by and moments of joy can be few and far between. Mental health is named as something important but the world does not follow its words with actions.
And, I think, the thing that we don’t talk about enough is the grief that comes with actually addressing and working on mental health in your life. Not only is it really hard work (really really fucking hard) but with the work comes a certain amount of knowledge that was either unknown or suppressed previously. Once you begin to understand what is happening in your brain, you can never not know that information again. It becomes a question of either confronting the thing or willful ignorance of the thing and, although pretending not to know is certainly an option, the cost of that pretending starts to affect more than your own personal psyche.
There’s a grief in the awareness of what you are unable to accomplish while you handle your mental health. There’s a grief in the awareness of seeing what you don’t have time or energy for, of all the wasted time over the years, of everything you feel like you can’t accomplish because you have to focus on the louder and more pressing need. There are so so many positive things about focusing on your mental health and I really don’t want to discount those. And there is this grief that happens in tandem with growth and I don’t think that should be discounted either.
So if you are feeling both the positive effects and the grief of living in your mind in these times, you are not alone. Grief and growth can and should live together; remember, you can’t really have one without the other. You belong here and lots of people benefit greatly by you being around. I am happy you are here. Happy you are here reading this newsletter and so pleased you are in the world.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
A new angle!
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Signed my lease. Got my keys. Look-it that face!
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Friday, May 29, 2020
The theme for happy hour this week was…important (?) events (?). I don’t remember exactly but I do remember I dressed up as the closing night of every high school play ever. Notice the old lady make-up (exclusively the characters I played), the mascara crying lines, and the show shirt.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
A lot of laying down this week apparently.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
No comments for this Sunday face.
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