Everyone’s Journey is Uniquely Theirs

I want to clarify for anyone who might question our intent for sharing our story or connecting it to a store. Honestly, we probably share similar questions and concerns and constantly re-evaluate our approach and impact on our family.

We courageously share our journey/story for two reasons: 1) It is healing to write…for all of us. 2) (and most importantly) We saw a need to de-stigmatize mental illness and be a voice for something that is not often talked about. A place for others like us to find some peace in knowing their story is not so different and they are not alone. Journeying with a mental illness is extremely lonely and misunderstood. We talk about a loved one who might have cancer, but we hesitate to talk about anxiety, panic, depression…etc. for fear of what it might mean for our family or someone we love. Why is that?

Our daughter is involved in all conversations and whenever she feels uncomfortable we shift our approach/dialog….and we do this to normalize her mental illness. We are not (and she is not) ashamed of who she is. We have not and never intend to hide it and will not treat her differently. We are so proud of our daughter and her desire to be apart of something that might help others…something so much bigger than herself.

Regarding our store - through fundraising and our store we have donated over $13,000 to schools, communities and hospitals supporting children/adolescent mental health and well-being. In addition, our store also allows me to be home for my daughter and my other two children who need a mom and care provider now more than ever. Working outside of the home is not an option right now, so our little store is a leap of faith to put our children/family first.

Our store and our blog is a collective family effort. This is our story…our journey…and we respect that all will process it differently. We will fold in new chapters as they arise and learn from others. We know some will judge our approach and some will be grateful. We did not choose mental illness…and certainly not for our daughter…but we are choosing how we live with it and hopeful we might help others.