twloha

hello!!! i had a very lovely birthday lunch with my dad. he brought me a cupcake from starbucks (yum). the weather here is still awful though! can't i have some nice weather for my birthday? that would be a great gift. there has to be an end to the cold!

anyway i was puttering (great word) around on youtube and i came across a video about the organization called "to write love on her arms". i've known about twloha for a few years, and i think it's really great. it's basically a support group for people with depression and addictions. if you go to their website, http://www.twloha.com/index.php, you can find links to help service websites and numbers of hotlines to call in emergencies, or if you just want to talk to someone. a lot of people don't realize how many people in america, and around the world, are effected by depression every year. suicide is a huge issue in the world right now and organizations like twloha are helping to spread information about the causes and results of depression, and they're trying to help spread some love. which i think is something we should all strive to do every day. so check out the website if you or someone you know might need help, or if you're just interested in the cause. they also have some great merchandise which provides financial support for twloha and also helps spread awareness.
here's a picture of me wearing my twloha shirt. a friend gave it to me last summer and i love it! it says "alive" in really bright letters, and the small text says "wake up, you're alive, we're on your side". it's really soft which is a bonus.

(i know it looks like im in a creepy asylum-type place, but it's actually my dorm room. which i guess is kind of the same thing....)

it's really important to be a source of hope for people in need. if you think someone you know is upset or depressed or just really stressed out, make sure you reach out to them in case they want to share what's going on. if they don't seem to want help, don't push them to talk about it since that could make matters worse. but suggest that they take advantage of free help resources for them, such as suicide hotlines. the people who work for these hotlines are trained to be helpful, good listeners, and never judgmental. there's no shame in needing someone to talk to. no one should ever be alone.