Welcome to #btfriendsandfamilyfriday. I chose to showcase myself first on my blog so that you might get to know me better and understand why setting a day aside to thank someone special in my life is so important. Last year around this time, I received a call from my mom asking me to come and help take care of my father. My mother had caught the flu and had been admitted to the hospital. The two weeks that followed left me emotionally drained and feeling pretty sorry for myself. One night while talking to my mom I broke down crying. I felt like a failure - unworthy to be loved. Of course my mom tried to comfort and encourage me. She suggested that I reach out to my friends and share with them how I was feeling. This made me cry even harder. I honestly felt like there was no one I could reach out to. I took her advice and texted a small group of friends and shared that I was struggling. Each person I reached out to responded with kind and warm words of encouragement. I knew that I needed to reach out even further and seek some professional assistance. A week later I was attending my first therapy session. Honestly, it was my mom, handful of friends, and therapy that helped me move forward in life with a better understanding of myself. Therapy also helped me to understand that I would never allow others close enough to really develop deep meaningful relationships until I began to believe that I am worthy and deserving of them. I had to learn to stop allowing my inner critic to guide my life. Last year was about me learning to quiet the critic, deconstruct the lies I had bought into about myself, and find ways to nourish my mental health. I look forward to 2019 being the year that I become my bff.
