When I wrote my first piece for RIZZARR called Outings Overcoming Amidst Struggles, I had submitted it to a website that decided not to publish it because there was “too much volume.”
I was very upset, because I put my heart and soul into the piece.
Writing the piece was therapeutic, and I felt like there was a need to publish this story since it has been hard to find strong resources for minority teens to converse about mental health issues. I took their not publishing really, really personally. I thought that my coming out to help others who are suffering from similar situations would go in vain. It made me feel rejected… just as society has rejected many of us who are marginalized for our identity.
And, I also felt another kind of rejection. It was a rejection that would change my life for the better. You see, sometimes God says no to our prayers, and as humans we can feel vulnerable and upset when our desires are not fulfilled the way we want them to be. I was at a loss, perplexed, and angry that I could not share my story to the world. But this is where I learned that the cliché aphorism “patience is a virtue” had real meaning in my life. You see, I later asked RIZZARR if I could contribute and publish my story, and they warmly agreed to publish it on their website.
This meant so much to me, because the mission of RIZZARR is to reach out to the world, especially youth and young adults. I love how RIZZARR is a platform in which we can learn from each other, and accept that being vulnerable is nothing to be ashamed of. In truth, it seems that by being vulnerable, we can learn what it means to be human.
It’s the perfect platform in which youth can share and talk about their own personal experiences in order to connect and help others. For me, I especially loved the fact that I could share my stories on RIZZARR, and help those who have and are facing mental health disorders. In fact, it even gave great comfort and peace knowing that I could provide a different perspective to people who may know someone with a mental health disorder.
And then, to top it all off, I recently received a grateful and enlightening message from somebody who read my story with her brother who suffers from a mental health disorder and is in college. This was a very touching moment for me… to know that out in the world there exists people who would take their time to read an article– written by me– in order to provide a support system for them. I realize that the stigma for mental health is strong, which causes many people to not come to terms with their disorder since there is a fear of rejection or dismissal. RIZZARR has become a support system for me, and I know that by being honest with our situations, we can learn how to cope with the struggles that we face.
I hope that my columns have and can continue to inspire you to not be fearful of your struggles, but rather… confront them.
I also hope that RIZZARR can become your support system– whether it is by reading about people’s stories, contributing to a column, or even if it’s just spreading the word about RIZZARR. At RIZZARR, you will never be rejected or dismissed. Better yet, you will be accepted for who you are, because you are precious in the eyes of us here at RIZZARR and most importantly, in the eyes of God…
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