Growing up I’ve always been that girl who was in a bubble. Not your original bubble that has a thin sphere of colorful liquid surrounding it. My bubble was gloomy, dark, and dejected. I’ve always wondered why. Why is my bubble like this? Can I just be happy? I wanted to change this dark color that would follow me everywhere, colors such as yellow, pink, and green.
I wanted the rainbow of happiness around me. I started to change my color one step at a time. I remember it being a difficult challenge but I got the hang of it. I started participating in school, I made many friends, and I finally became the person I looked up to, which is my new self. I became happy and excited to share this new person to the world. People started to communicate with me. They would describe me as the color pink – it represents who I am based on my characteristics. I’m happy most of the time, I’m very bubbly, and sensitive. I’m very different from the person I used to be.
Being able to take these steps was a success but with many challenges. There are a number of practical issues that made it hard to get mental health care. The main one was availability. As not all insurance covers mental health, it was difficult for me as a lower-income person to access help. During the time that I was seeking aid, the worries started rising. Can I receive help today and be able to get it again next week? Thoughts like this followed me through my journey. No one should feel these types of emotions while trying to get assistance, especially for our own health. Not only this but usually mental health issues are left without any support and ignored, making it difficult for us to shed our dejected bubble.
I was thinking about this time of my life and I reflected on it by making a poem: “I’ve always wanted to be a red rose / The red rose / That everyone sees and admires / The rose that flows to shows / I’m the red rose that’s being misread.” This poem is meaningful because not only does it reflect the person I used to be but it’s also a reminder to me that it’s never too late to have life changes. These changes could lead to the person you are today and could help you become a wonderful person in the future. The steps I’ve taken helped me decide who I am and what I want for this world to know about me.