January 2022 Was Hard For Many People – Reach Out For Help

Are you having a hard time?

This week the calendar will be flipping over to February and I could not be happier about a new month. Most of us in Maine spent the weekend sitting through and then digging out of the storm that hit us on Saturday. For me, the storm was symbolic of the entire month of January and I will be spending February digging out from that storm.

The calendar does not care about our struggles

January is supposed to be a month when everyone gets a fresh start as the new year begins, but in Maine, there is very little refreshing about the long, cold, and blustery month. For many personal reasons, the last two January's have been extremely challenging and taxing. I know that I am not alone. I know that there are many people in our communities right now who are struggling. If you are reading this know that you are not alone.

You never know what someone is going through

Several years ago, I experienced situations that I never dreamed could happened to me and my life. I was able to compartmentalize and function and get through the days while trying to help my family navigate our personal nightmare. That time in my life was a lesson in "you never know what is going on in someone's life". I will forever carry that mantra with me because it's the simplest way we can show empathy and be more understanding of people from day-to-day.

We need you here!

This weekend I learned that there are people who I know that are struggling! I am thankful that I am able to write this piece on Monday, instead of an awful tragedy. The struggles being relayed to me unfolded one after another and I just wanted to reach out and tell you all, you are not alone. As we approach two years of living with this pandemic, the people of northern Maine need a sign of hope. It's difficult to find that hope through mornings of sub-zero temperatures and snowstorms. The astronomical inflation has forced so many into limiting their grocery purchases and keeping an eye on the fuel tank. These are huge factors into the psyche of people and it appears we are reaching the boiling point.

Stop waiting. Call. Anyone. Communicate!

We all struggle in many different ways. Some deal with psychological issues as opposed to a physical pain that anyone can see. There are some who are dealing with the loss of a loved one and the pandemic restrictions make it difficult to properly work through the grieving process. We need human interaction to get through some of these very difficult circumstances. I am asking anyone reading that if you have or are going through a difficult time right now, that you reach out to someone right now. YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE! You can call the Maine Suicide State Hotline 24/7/365 at 1-888-568-1112 and the National Suicide Hotline at any time at 1-800-273-8255. 9-1-1 is also an option or you can call your pastor, priest, therapist, counselor, teacher, mentor, or anyone. Just please, reach out! This can and will pass. Sunny and warm days are ahead of us!