By Liz Orvis
Alone
So Alone
It seem like no one without a mental illness
Understands this level of alone
I want to hide in my bed
Under the covers
I want to stay in my house
Never leave
I want my friends to call
But am terrified if they do
My support team is amazing
But they have lives
They are tired
So tired
And they need a break
That’s where the community comes in
Friends to check in on me…
That understand if it takes me days to answer
People to get together with…
That don’t get upset if I cancel three times in a row
Family to hug me…
Even if hugging is not their love language
It’s so important to have a community
But it’s not just about taking
It’s about giving, too
Writing
Volunteering
Coaching
Loving
In person when I can…
But more likely on Zoom
I love Zoom
Community gives me structure
A reason to get up in the morning
To meet more people
To support…my support people…so they get a break
So I welcome them
I check on THEM
I bring THEM a meal
I send THEM a cheer up card
Because community goes two ways
I am so grateful for all the people in my life
And I think they are thankful for me
Which means an awful lot on the bad days
And on the good days, too
Liz Orvis is an author, advocate and amazing aunt. Her main goal in life is to decrease the disparity within the field of mental health, but to support others like her in the meantime. She is a former special education teacher and Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and now she’s taking on the world! See her memoir “It’s a Hard Knock Life”, coming out soon!