Recent events in the Federation have caused persons to really begin to pay attention to mental health. As I listened to person’s reactions to the loss of Masud in such a tragic manner, I began to understand how truly unaware, and in some instances uneducated, we are when it comes to mental health. It is clear that we do not understand how important mental health is and how it affects our daily lives.
Given my own experience with depression, I learned that mental health is just as important as my physical health and one should by no means take it for granted. We often see our family members and in some cases our friends struggling with financial problems, or relationship problems but what do we do?
Do we try to assist them through their difficulties or do we talk behind their backs and ridicule them for their unwise decisions. Are we so certain that every time you meet a friend who is always smiling and laughing that this person is truly happy or contented? Have we learnt to look pass the public facade that we all put on to face the world meanwhile, internally that individual is tearing up inside? Have we realised that a kind word, a smile, a thoughtful gesture can go a long way in easing someone‘s pain?
Sometimes, persons just want to vent their problems and ease it off their minds for a while so they can think clearly and come up with a viable solution for their problems. But in our society trust becomes an issue as who can they truly vent to without having their business on the street for public consumption. Have we become so selfish as a population that we view everyone we meet as emotional vampires when indeed that is not the case, and so we begin to find excuses to leave when someone decides to trust you with their problems?
There are still a few questions that we need to really ask ourselves as a people. Are we really living as a society that should grow together or have we begun to do as Darwin suggests and let only the fittest survive. We have a responsibility as a nation, as a people, and as individuals to look out for our fellow man, woman or child. It is part of who we are as a people but I fear that we have lost our roots as well as that key component that kept our ancestors together. That component was unity as they understood that a united society could achieve anything.
Alas, we appear to be accomplishing very little as we have broken away from the whole and become individuals that only look for self. To add to this dilemma, we have turned our backs on family, friends and neighbours and chosen the path of acquisition and glory while we leave our brethren and sisters behind to sought out their our maths. What we need to understand is that we are not built alike and some of us are strong and some of us are weak. It is up to the strong ones to help the weak as without cooperation our society will become more diseased. What we suffer from is a lack of empathy for our fellow man/woman. We are unable to put ourselves in their shoes and so we discharge them and their problems as insignificant.
It is now time to heal this Land of Beauty as it has suffered tremendous losses. We are losing our young and talented men to violence. We are also losing young and productive men and women to sickness. The time has come to think of the restoration of this great nation. We need to put our judgements, and our opinions aside and begin to help the person next to you. It may be a co-worker who is too proud to ask for help but you can see they are in need; It may be a little boy or girl who is standing at the bus stop waiting for a bus to go to school all by themselves and the school is on your way; It might be someone who you have not seen smile in a while, give them something to smile about. Whatever the need, whatever the time, wherever the place do not be afraid to assist where you can. This movement of healing and being your brother’s keeper starts with one little gesture to one person.
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