'When the Soul Cries'

This book serves as a collection of brief stories regarding the influence of mental health trauma has within partnerships.  The first story itself had me in quiet tears, relating to Shawanda’s book icebreaker.  It was cathartic.  Lakiesha’s story stands out to me.  She identifies going to a familiar place, Church, for comfort and healing and calls out how her place of worship came at a cost she couldn’t bear to pay- judgment! (good for her for identifying that) Mel shared a story with a lot of water metaphors, and a scene that I can relate to of crying on the bedroom floor knowing you love someone so intensely and yet have an intangible thing causing disruption to the appearance of the connection. “Broken people cannot affirm themselves nor others, they just need to hear ‘I love you’”- Chris Lee And then there is the above quote.  It made me feel another quote: “I feel very attacked!” - Laganja Estranja

Overall, I found a good portion of the book really relatable.  There are stories of how mental health haunts from the past, the issues when it arises in the present, and how the people around you are not always privileged to the understand as to how to handle and walk with you through the recovery period...or in some cases how they are unintentionally the source of mental health woes and getting someone further from where they need to be.

The First-hand storytelling is superb in the aspect of highlighting the perspective of the experience in their own words, while serving the overall book themes of ‘trauma, tears, and triumph’.  This cocktail of themes affords someone reading this with relatable experiences to know that they are not alone.  In my experience, knowing you are not alone, while also not being the same, can be an element critical to serving as a pillar to forward process in life. Another lived experience I found myself relating to in this brook really was the affirmation story. *nerd alert* When I was a young twenty-something.  I was obsessed with Savage Garden’s Affirmation album.  In fact, I use to mute the game music in EverQuest and loop this album over and over as I gaymed my night away.  Something about the messages in the album seemed to speak to me in a coded language everyone else could understand. *end of tangent*

It has been a super relatable point in my life.  I am constantly feeling like the gaps between ‘I love you’ as insufferable...not because they are (well...they feel like they are at times), or because I am not loved by Caleb, but more because I am not realizing I actually am broken in ways I fear.  I fear the pieces are too indistinguishable for repair, and if we look at it head-on, the band-aided ‘I love yous’ will cease.  This was a lesson in showing up for yourself along with your loved one(s) to be in a place to affirm life as it comes. 

#53books52weeks #affirmation #LaganjaEstranja #EverQuest #dothework #mentalhealthandmarriage #reflection #yourjourneyisthedestination