Updates from The Vault

Been working diligently in this memoir class. It's slowly become my favorite part of the week. This and group are such interesting experiences, surveying the lives of other women so intimately. I personally wished one person in the memoir class had done a trigger warning for this part of her book. I found this inclusion to be a little too loud.

"If you’re wondering about yourself, here are ten signs of an unhealthy relationship:

intensity possessiveness manipulation isolation sabotage belittling guilting volatility betrayal deflecting responsibility

Felt a little too pointed. But we're working away, squeezing the mind grapes to produce something anything - Mom Doesn't Like Dogs, Sometimes We Listen And Sometimes We Just Lie, What would Mom Say?, Rose -The First Hospital Visit, and lastly I Know What to Call it Now (this is the sister piece of 'Not Me Too' and 'I Feel it All' and a hard one to write, but I think I have better words than I did then.. I hope writing this list down will help solidify the urge to complete all these things. Trying to hold myself to one style piece, one analytical, and one personal/philosophical piece per week and also balance stories about trauma/abuse. Things keep resonating and inspiring. So I guess we'll see.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. As someone who went from an RA, a TA, a coach to the strong friend that people call when a prominent celebrity commits suicide, mental illness can come at you fast. It is stronger and deeper than I could've ever imagined. I took for granted all the years where I was "temporarily able-bodied and minded". It's hard to accept that , I can't just do things or experience life the same way or even be the same person anymore. But I've got army of support behind me and that's what anyone struggling with mental illnesses needs. Community has healing powers. Love is healing. Give love. Don't damage or traumatize people. Don't be a monster, even when you're hurting. Kindness is suicide prevention. Basic human decency is suicide prevention. Be good to be people. Be good to yourself cause remember I'm

Keeping Tabs.