sad

For the Time That We Are Here

Lit a candle in remembrance
Of all the people
Who passed away
Someone’s best friend
Someone’s wife or husband
Someone’s brother, sister, or cousin
Someone who was held near and dear
The pain of loss
Can put anybody into tears
And then here comes the fears
The realization
Of how short life is
Becomes painfully clear
Some people prepare
By having a relationship with Jesus Christ
Some people prepare
By getting life insurance
Some people prepare
In others ways
And all of these things are great
Regardless of what people
Do as ways to prepare
What do we do
For the time that
We are still here
Life is precious
It should not be spent
Wasting time
On hate
On grudges
On fear
We should live
A life that is filled with love
A life with a heart of forgiveness
A life that is lived fearless
Forgetting about the things
That we cannot fix
It shouldn’t have to take
The passing of someone special
To realize this
We should live life
Appreciating the people
Today before they go away
There are not many
Opportunities for second chances
So when they present
Themselves grab them
All while enjoying the lives
That we are blessed with
Because it’s a gift

African Americans and Mental Illness

Between the internet and google there are a lot of social media psychiatrists and psychologists, applying mental disorders to people like sticky notes or bumper stickers. News flash!!! Psychiatrists go to college for years and still understand the importance of the DSM-5, which they must go by. Psychiatrists also use assessment tools, interviews, tests, and observation before diagnosing a person with a disorder. Psychiatrists understand the harm that can come from misdiagnosing and mislabeling people. It’s about matching a client’s syndrome to a disorder. Look internet doctors leave the job of diagnosing people to the professionals, after all they went to college for it.

We really have to be careful how we handle mental illnesses. People feel uncomfortable being honest about their battle with an mental illness. A lot of it has to do with the negative stereotypes associated with mental illnesses. Some people would rather suffer in silence instead of talking about their mental health.

The black community is very bad at not handling mental illness well. Years ago black people would spank children but mental illnesses can’t be beaten out of people. Some also believed in divine intervention, which is great however God also gave us common sense to go see a doctor. I believe that God uses people and guides doctors to help people as well. There are still a lot of people who needs to be educated not to be doctors but so they will know how to treat people. A person can have a disorder and still live a normal every day life without becoming unhinged.

Currently I am pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Forensic Psychology and I am almost finished! With God’s help I plan on getting a Master’s degree in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling. Yaaaaaaay!!! It’s important to support people when it comes to mental illnesses because it’s their health. It’s about living well, with the right support and treatment it is possible.

Broken Covenant

When I use to think of what we had

It would make me sad

After all marriage is a special thing

A covenant with God

When a lady and a man

Becomes wife and husband

Number one we must understand

True love isn’t planned

Love is precious

And so beautiful

Especially when the love is equal

So if you are not ready

For love then don’t accept

A person’s heart

When they offer it to you

Another important thing

A marriage can not survive

With interferences from the outside

Also decisions should not be made

As if single is your status

They must be made together

With a prayer to God as the glue

To hold them into place

Praying that you gain understanding

As I have one day

I don’t blame God

And I don’t blame you

I played a role in the demise

Of the marriage too

It’s a shame what we planned to prosper

Has been reduced to a poem

Which consist of nouns and verbs

On a piece of paper

I am no longer sad or mad anymore

Because I now know that regardless of the

Outcome God has a plan

So now I understand

I no longer question why

I know that God has greater

For me in my life

Looking on the bright side helped me to realize

Where I messed up and that was not keeping

God first

See human beings are like candles

Under pressure we burn out

But God is like the sun

The light never goes out

He knew us before our births

He has a master plan

For our lives

But if you don’t consult the master

There’s a chance that things won’t work

Pride will have a person looking from a window

On the outside wishing that you were inside

Pride kills happiness it leaves you with regret

So if you have a ego lose it

It’s not worth it

I have grown to be so much wiser now

I no longer cradle ideas about marriage

That are fables

Only God can keep a marriage stable

Because He is able

All we have to do is lay

Everything out on the table

I have never had so much confidence

About letting go

I truly hope that you find

The wife that is meant for you

I don’t hate you

How can I

I once loved you

Besides harboring hate has no use

It only keeps me from reaching

The next level that I am trying

To get to

This isn’t drama it’s truth

Being honest is the right thing to do

As you can see I’ve looked

At me I have taken ownership

Of my mistakes

Can you