09/25/2025
September is Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, and this photo is a reminder of how often pain goes unseen.
When a childhood classmate sent me this class picture, I was struck by how hard I was smiling...mouth stretched wide, eyes nearly closed. At that time, I had just lost my grandmother. Inside, I felt numb, but I told myself I had to look happy.
That smile wasn’t joy. It was survival. A mask I wore so no one would see the grief I carried.
This is the reality for so many. We learn to perform happiness, to hide sorrow, to stay silent even when we’re hurting. But silence has a cost, and when our pain goes unseen, it can turn into despair.
My upcoming book, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞, is about breaking that silence. It’s about creating spaces where we can be honest, vulnerable, and whole.
💛 If you are struggling, please know you are not alone. Help is available. You can dial 988 in the U.S. to connect with the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.
📖 Preorder my book at www.thecostofhealing.com
and join me in helping to break the silence together.
💜Healing begins when we allow ourselves to be seen.
