Always Choose to be Kind
In every one of my books, a part of the dedication says the same quote, every single time. “We are all fighting battles that no one knows about. Please always choose to be kind.”
Those two sentences are inspirational to me. I strive to embody these words in my daily life. My hopes and prayers are always resigned to keeping my family safe from every type of harm, including mental anguish.
Mental illness isn’t something to be trifled with because it’s the number two leading cause of death in the US between the ages of 10 and 24. (https://www.nami.org/mental-health-by-the-numbers/)
Ten. Years. Old. Let that sink in… Suicide caused by mental health issues is the second leading cause of death in the US in TEN-YEAR-OLDS.
I know there is a certain stigma around mental illness, and that it is still going to be there when I am long gone, but it is my intention, through my books, to help end the stigma.
If you or someone you know is dealing with mental illness, please reach out to anyone. If you can’t talk to anyone, please dial or text 988, or even message me at my email address below. (https://988lifeline.org/)
Talking helps. Even if talking only gets you from 24% to 25%, that’s 1% better than before. That’s progress.
Progress is better.
