12/10/2022
World Mental Health Day🌎 Mental health, we all have it.
We ask how one another is so many times a day but rarely do we expect someone to answer truthfully or answer truthfully ourselves. We go on about our day, move on to other things satisfied that the level of interaction was all that was required.
Remember to check in with people, give them your time. Don't assume 'I'm fine' should be the end of the conversation, it might be the beginning ❤️
I’M FINE
Today I said “I’m fine” not once
But five times altogether
When people asked “how are you?”
Then made small talk of the weather
And so I hid behind my mask -
The one I’d worn a while
I set in place my bravest face
And dressed it with a smile
And that was how the day went
All “I’m fine” and talk of rain
Until somebody asked me how I was
Then asked again
They asked if I was truly fine
And I said I was not
And they said they were sorry
That they couldn’t do a lot
But then they sat beside me
Whilst I spoke the truth at last
They held me and they listened
As the tears slipped through my mask
And where before I’d felt
I should maintain this brave façade
I realised there was much to gain
By letting down my guard
See, though my load was still the same
It now was not as heavy
‘Cause sitting and offloading some
Had helped a bit already
Today they asked “how are you?”
And I told them I was fine
‘Til someone saw behind the mask
And asked me one more time
And though they may have felt
That there was little they could do
They’ll never know how much it meant
To tell someone the truth
*******
From ‘What the Wild Replied’ (search Becky Hemsley on Amazon. Available soon on the Etsy store).
Spoken word in comments 💛
