New love and new walks

This Saturday is the next NAMI walk I will be participating in. NAMI Georgia at Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville, Ga better watch out for the Lexicon of Love team. We have over ten members of our team walking including women from Atlanta Young Ladies, the meetup group that I now am the main organizer of. My family and my new beau will be there as well holding my hand and walking step by step stomping out stigma.

Who is this new beau you ask? OH well he is amazing. Matt is a musician, a director for a non profit of Georgia, a romantic, a traveller, ambitious and he supports me in my battle against clinical depression. I could go on but I'll let you save your gag factors. We are happy together and that is what is so important. I feel very lucky to have found him.

Crazy

One of the most important things to me these days revolves around that word...crazy. Define crazy. I love that.

That word I use a lot, like "Oh you're crazy for spending that much." But do I realize what that REALLY means?

Bring Change 2 Mind along with Glenn Close and Ron Howard are teaming up with NAMI, the National Alliance of Mental Illnesses, to stop this stigma and you know what? I agree.

I pledge to stop using the word crazy. It is insulting and overused. I have been called it, you have been called it whether it be condescending in connotation or joking.

Enough is enough. We the people of mental illness say, no more!

View the video at Bring Change 2 Mind and speak up for yourself, it's worth it.

My part in this journet to de-stigmatize mental illness and for me specifically, clinical depression, is to educate and own my illness. It is to stay away from those unwilling to learn and surrounding myself with loving understanding friends and family. It is to step up and walk for the NAMI Walks and start my teams to pledge money and raise it for NAMI organizations across the country.

Last May my team raised over $100 for NAMI Maryland. This September I am at it again and pledge to walk NAMI Georgia and raise money for them to host classes and workshops for free to those who deserve the help, which is everyone and anyone.

Educate yourself!

If you'd like more information or to donate to my walk I would be so thankful!