As I held up the three books I co-author in 2020, my passion for the emotional state of our young people was apparent to everyone, at the Gwinnett County School Board meeting.
Part of my speech went like this:
“Last year I co-author these three books on mental health. The reason I do this is because it’s very personal for me. I have a Psychology Bachelor’s degree and minor in Crimology, but I have the best education in the world because when I was fourteen my mother shoot herself in front of me. When I was twenty-one she went down the hall-way and jumped of the 2nd floor balconly, when my little daughter was in the room. In this very county, when my son was visiting his father…his dad had choked and beat him…I put him in counseling. We had two really struggling years. And in this very state, my dad, my sister, my step-mom and my nephew were all killed on impact, in Baxley, Ga…I know what it is to feel pain, despair. I know what is to be stress and feel anxiety. I know what it is to see children feel the same way. I offer my services to you all…we are in trouble as a society and as children…let me help you help our children be better.”
At the conclusion of my speech, many people were moved and spoke with me during meeting and after. Mothers thanked me for talking about such a needed and powerful subject. They expressed their own battle with postpartum depression and anxiety. A father gave me his heartfelt apology that I had to experience such great pain. My reply was thank you but if I had not experienced those things, I could not understand those that have. He understood and smiled. It’s one thing to have sympathy but when you have empathy, your conversation, spirit and the look in your eyes connects with people diffently. Children love music, the play on words and other artistic things. I want them to see their lives as a poem, not written, yet. That poem really is a masterpiece that started with one stroke (a moment in time) and continued to reveal itself as a beautiful work of art. As difficult as life may seem to be at this moment, it is just a moment. Tomorrow will come and it will be different! IT WILL BE DIFFERENT!!!