From the Archives - April 10, 2026
The off-week trip through 24 years of blog posts.
It’s spring time where I live. Here’s a little bit of beauty for you.
It’s Been a Rough Week, So I’m Reminding Myself of These Things
Even when there are things in the world I cannot change, I use my own words to remind myself that there are things I CAN do. I can look after the people around me. I can add my voice to support mental health, survivors, and marginalized groups. I can find small ways to contribute to making the world a better place while also encouraging others to do the same.
When it comes to Mental Health, Finances Matter
What we see there is that mental health problems can create debt. When we cannot work, our healthcare costs skyrocket, and we can find ourselves in a poor financial situation. That poor financial situation creates more stress and emotional labor, contributing to mental health issues.
Whether the mental health problem or financial struggle came first doesn’t matter. Once we are in the cycle, it will continue round and round.
This is a fine example of behavior that might make sense to us as individuals, but what happens when everyone engages in this same behavior? How do you find fellow survivors to build a support system or a sense of community with when everyone in that community is waiting for someone else to reach out?
Friendships Matter Much More than the Value We Place on Them
It’s worth considering your friends and recognizing that we need all kinds of friends. We need loose connections, and we need tight connections. We need long-term friends, and we need friends for a season of our lives.
In short, we need each other. I’m afraid this has gotten lost in our culture and priorities, and I consider myself as guilty as anyone.
Blaming Social Media for Mental Health Issues is a Cop Out to Avoid Harder Decisions
What I read in this matches what I see in real life. Some people spend a lot of time on social media doing things that are bad for their mental health. (Comparing their lives to the ultra-filtered images they see on social media, filling their feed with information that is bad for their mental health, etc.) while others use social media to connect with an online support network.
Given that, the calls to ban social media use for kids seem odd, but they are based on the idea that it is easy. Blaming big tech will never be unpopular, and some people might be better off using social media less.
It’s also unlikely to make much of a difference for the vast majority of kids.
When All Else Is Lost, The Future Still Remains
As long as you are alive, there is hope. Hope in a better tomorrow, hope for healing, hope for happiness. I don't care how horrific the abuse was; if you're alive today, there is hope, because the future hasn't been written yet, and it is up to you.
Thank you for reading and if any of these posts resonate with you, please consider sharing them with your friends and family. Maybe it will resonate with them as well.