Celebrate by Connecting.

It’s so easy to give our friends and loved ones a listening ear but hard to be the one being listened to. Not because we don’t trust them with what we’re going through, but because it’s sometimes hard to voice out that we need help.Every time we talk about mental health or hear that one of our peer has committed suicide after going through depression in silence, we remember to tell our friends phrases like; you shouldn’t suffer in silence, I’m always here for you, reach out at any time I’ll be here to listen, even when we’re going through hard times ourselves. We however end up doing the opposite when it’s us on the other end.Often, we resort to hiding in our cocoons , cry ourselves to sleep ( which helps to some extent) and suffer in silence yet we have friends and people we can talk to.

Sometime back, a friend of mine shared her concern that I had never given her a chance to be there for me the same way I always was for her. I honestly did not know how to respond to her. I silently and painfully watched our friendship bite the dust, not knowing what to say or do to save it. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I didn’t know how to let someone be there for me. I couldn’t say it openly that talking about the struggles I was going through and the dark holes I’d find myself in was an entirely new, uncomfortable, big concept to me.I didn’t really understand the importance of talking about things that hurt, drained, broke or weighed me down or I considered shameful with anyone.

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