Everyone has things and/or people who they feel contribute to their mental health in a positive way. Because mental health is something that can affect us all it's very important we have people around us we feel comfortable with expressing our mental illnesses to.
As mentioned in previous blogs and social media posts, I have suffered from various mental illnesses from depression to suicide. I am blessed to be surrounded by family members who I love and they love them. They allow me to be unapologetically me and they strive to support me emotionally, physically, and mentally.
I'll be honest and say I wasn't always comfortable opening up to my family about my mental illnesses because I was afraid they would worry and try to convince me to move closer to home. However, the reaction I got when I first opened up was EVERYTHING. They embraced my emotions and allowed me to express myself, be vulnerable, and tell my truth.
Sooo...my brother, my sister, and I had the opportunity to surprise our mother for her birthday this past weekend. She had no clue we were coming down to celebrate with her and shout out to my Stepdad for helping to keep this surprise a surprise. Let me give you a quick run down of how things went. I flew into Tampa the evening of Oct 8th and stayed with my sister. My brother flew in Friday evening of Oct 9th. On Friday, we all met up and drove over to our mother's house and when she opened the door - BOOM...She cried tears of joy and shock that made the moment magical. On that Saturday, we hosted a seafood fest with a few close relatives to celebrate her special day...and let's just say she and my brother got cake smashed in their face.
As I reflect on the weekend, all I can think about is how good it felt to be around family. I wasn't suffering from depression, anxiety, loneliness or anything negative leading into the weekend; however, now that the weekend is over, I realize mentally I feel a bit better. From the laughter to the tears of joy, it was therapeutic to be home. Unfortunately, due to COVID, I haven't really seen much family so this trip meant more than just a surprise birthday weekend. I can guarantee you that my family don't know how much positivity they gave me and my mental health.
Check out a few photos from my weekend trip with family.
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Watch this inspiring video on how to help someone with mental illness!