Category: mental health
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Rainbow armor, scars, and stories.
Today on this throwback Thursday I am thinking of the treatment I receive from those around me regarding my tattoos, and the truth surrounding their origins. People comment on my tattoos a lot. They ask what they mean, if they hurt, or simply tell me they love the colors. But it is not always reactions […]
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We also have “the talk”…
Us Latinos have our own version of “the talk.” You know the one. The unfortunate conversation every Black parent has to have with their child. The talk about the way the world around perceives you. The disadvantages. And worst of all, the fears and caution to be used with those around – including police and […]
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Good natured predator.
When people try to use blood relation as an excuse for forgiveness, my go-to response is, “Hitler had relatives. Being uncle Hitler doesn’t mean you have to love him.” Not all our relatives are good. And not all our relatives are good to us. Some are selectively kind, some are backstabbers, and some are varying […]
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Don’t poke the f**king bear.
There’s a well known saying, “don’t poke the bear,” which is used to refer to a bad temper (Madadook, if you will). People said it about me and I used to be embarrassed by it. At one point, I pretended to embrace it, but inside it truly hurt my feelings and I would cry because […]
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Babadook’s sister, Madadook…
I’ve decided that the Babadook can’t be a standalone character in my version of him. The original, of course, is a monster from the book, Monster, by Jennifer Kent (who also wrote the screenplay and directed the movie, The Babadook. While I refer to the Babadook as the monster inside my head who is always […]
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And just like that…
Charles, my sweet companion terrier mix, died… and the Babdook was alive again. “Wait for me on the other side,” was the last thing I got to whisper in Charles ear before he took his last breathe. It was 5:08am (PST). I held him wrapped in a Mexican serape blanket, rocking him and holding him […]
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An open letter…
This is an open letter to someone who may never see it. Someone who likely doesn’t care. It’s not even just one person, but more than one, that is no longer there. But I need to say this, I need to let it out, I realized today it’s so bottled up inside that it makes […]
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Mindful Muting
Hey kids, it’s been a minute. For someone that lives like a bear in the woods (shout out to Masha and the Bear), I sure am busy. Lately, work has been hectic, and Peanut hasn’t been in the mood to be inside the house. This leads to a lot of conflict, both external and internal. […]
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The lies we tell…
We all tell lies. Maybe just little ones, or maybe only to ourselves, but we all do. Ultimately, most people don’t want to be wrong or the villain of the story. So they lie… I was having a conversation with my mom about something a family member told her, and my mom was accepting this […]
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Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind…
Do you ever really know someone? Your partner, your kid, your best friend? Yourself? There is someone that I used to know. Or I thought I knew. They were my best friend. I likely was not theirs, but they were mine. And I was myself. Anxiety, depression, goofy and weird and all. I shared and […]