No Discrimination
Hey Ya’ll! I can’t believe it’s already 2022! Heck, I can’t believe it’s already February! I’m a little late to the game (as usual), but here nonetheless. I know I said several months ago that I’m back and would try to continue out this blog. That is still true, I will still try and update when I can. I’ve not had much inspo lately, that is until yesterday. As a warning, this gets a little deep, so bear with me, or maybe skip for now.
I heard from my sister and then later on Facebook that a young lady and former Miss NC and Miss NC USA, Chelsie Kryst took her own life a few days ago. To be completely honest with you, I vaguely recognized her picture, but couldn’t have told you her name, nor her accomplishments. I can tell you though, that reading through that article completely broke my heart. It broke my heart for her parents, her family, her friends, her colleagues, the many people that looked up to her, and for what else life had in store for her.
If you’ve read my blogs, you know that I’ve dealth with not only anxiety, but also depression. I am here to tell you; it does not discriminate. Depression doesn’t care if you’re famous. Depression doesn’t care if you have an awesome career. Depression doesn’t care if you’re rich. Depression doesn’t care what color you are. It doesn’t care if you are a man or a woman. It doesn’t care if you drive a luxury sedan or fly first class. DEPRESSION DOESN’T CARE. Period.
A lot of people look at this girl and think, “Wow! She had so much going for her. Why in the world did she not get help? How did her people not realize she was struggling? Why would a beautiful girl like her have any reason to be sad or upset?”. Not only does depression not discriminate, but it also alienates. It changes and warps your thoughts into thinking things that make no sense. It turns what would seem like a harmful lie into a truth. It can convince you that you aren’t worthy. It can convince you that nobody loves you. It can convince you that you’re a burden to others. It can convince you that you have no future. It can convince you that you are better off gone from this world. I’m saying that depression can take a brilliant, beautiful person and destroy their world, a lot of times making themselves their own worst enemy.
Although I validate the feelings and the difficulties of this illness, I do not believe these to be truths about you or anyone. Simply stated - YOU ARE ENOUGH. You are worthy. People do love you. People do care for you. There is help. There is hope. The number one reason for this is because you are a Child of God. A loving God who created you in His image and who loved you enough before you were ever even thought of, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on a cross for you. We live in a fallen, evil world. Things seem to get worse day after day… kind of like how the Bible describes it, huh? Ironic? No, truth. The Bible also tells us that we can have hope and peace through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I would also like to add to this - God put people and their know how in place to help us. We have access to doctors, specialists, medications, counseling or therapy. It’s okay to utilize these things to help us. I know that God could take away every ailment, mentally or physically in the snap of a finger if He so chooses; however, I think God lets us have some of these issues so that we can learn to lean on Him and draw into His word, ultimately becoming closer to Him. Sometimes it’s just the thorn in our side.
I’m not usually so “preachy”, but I don’t apologize for it. If you need someone, reach out. I don’t know Chelsie’s story. I don’t know if she looked for help. I don’t know if she had a great support system. I make no assumptions because you truly never know. I do hope and pray that she knew the Lord. I do hope and pray that people who read about her and see the articles related to her death will see the devastating impact this choice leaves on so many. That if anyone in need of a hug, a listening ear, a friend, will call on those who can help instead of choosing this path to lessen their pain.
I love you. God loves you. You can do this.
All my love - Alexis