“I want to be the advocate that I did not have when I was first diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.”

“In a way, beginning Narratives of Hope has been a celebration of how far I’ve come. I am still standing and I’m alive, and it has never felt so undoubtedly clear that this is my purpose in my life.”

“I can do my best to educate and empower the everyones to make a difference for their someones affected by suicide or depression.”

“I’m here today thanks to my past self who somehow had the resilience and the bravery to keep going through those countless moments she wished she didn’t have to. If she could see me now, I think she’d agree it was worth it.”

“I didn’t know how to take her into my arms and make her feel like she belonged here, because she did belong here.”

“My journey with mental health has taught me a lot of things: that it’s never over; being vulnerable is a sign of strength; self-love can be quiet and loud.”

“But I know better now, that I dove down to unleash my light, inhaled it until my whole being glowed so white that the darkness faded into a brightly lit jungle of unimaginable color and creation.”

“Bipolar Disorder, whether it's I or II, is a serious condition that absolutely needs to be treated properly, and I advocate for mental health education everyday.”

“He was always so loved — I don’t know if that is enough in the face of something as formidable as a serious mental illness, but I wish it was.”

“If I called you one more time then, would it have changed it, or made a difference? Am I foolish, slightly selfish, to actually think that… I guess I just miss you.”

“That is the kind of honesty no one wants to think about. But it is the kind of honesty that will keep me alive.”