PLEASE read

Colleagues,

I’ll be sharing some pretty intimate stuff in the upcoming weeks. Not every day, but some days. Someone I love dearly is in a mental health and substance abuse crisis, and recovery, if it happens, will take a long, long time. I’m sharing because this has been one of the most painful and isolating experiences of my life. Luckily, I have had support from my network, but only because I’ve been willing to share what’s going on. Many people can’t share stuff like this, so they remain isolated and alone in their darkest days. So, I share for two reasons: If you are in a similar situation, I hope you can draw strength from my messages For the rest of you, I hope you can gain some insight into how to support people in this situation. There are more of us in this boat than we think.

The past six weeks have been horrible for our family - It is the worst kind of situation – of pain.

Honestly, the experience has dimmed my light.

I’ll be returning to my home in the mountains of Western North Carolina tomorrow.

And I have made a conscious decision to reignite my light, to be positive, and to be okay with being happy.

Part of the suck of being in a tragedy is that you feel guilty about feeling good.

But it is okay for us to find joy in helping others, in our work, or in a simple meal.

We have so much to live for, so much we can contribute, and being joyful will amplify what we are able to do with and for others.

It is okay to smile.

Today, I choose to be joyful.

Cheers!

Frederick