On behalf of myself and my daughter, I'd like to thank everyone for all of the kind words of encouragement and support I received for our most recent podcast episode. Whenever you go through any sort of trauma, you feel like you're in it alone. What I learned through the many of you who took the time out of your busy lives to email, comment, or message is that we are not alone and that so many have gone through similar experiences. That community of shared experiences offers a tremendous amount of comfort.
If you've yet to listen, please do so (Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts). If you have listened, please share. And if you've shared, please re-share somewhere else. Norah wants to make something positive out of her experience to help people by talking about and de-stigmatizing mental health issues. It's a conversation that is long overdue and very needed.
I do want to take a moment to address one critique we've received from one very small corner of the internet, which has been bothering me and that I don't want to leave unanswered — that because we chose to attack this issue with some humor, we are devaluing the seriousness of the situation and are not taking mental health issues seriously. Nothing could be further from the truth. No one (and I mean no one) has the right to tell someone else how to process trauma. Some do so with anger or sadness. Some with quiet reflection. And some with serious discussion. Consistent with our personalities, we process with humor and sarcasm. It doesn't mean we're not taking the situation seriously or making light of it. Quite the opposite. It just means we're coping the best we can. I can assure you that no one takes what Norah went through and is going through more seriously than she and our family.
Here's what I read this week that I think you should be reading, too.
The Texas Synagogue Survivors Say Training Was Key. Here’s What You Need to Know — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas