Let’s talk about it. Really talk about it.
Everyone’s big on “mental health awareness” right now. The hashtags are flying, the tributes are pouring in, and folks are suddenly eager to hold space… because someone in the spotlight lost their life. And while the concern is valid, the timing often isn’t.
Because where was all that awareness before the headline?
Where was that energy when it was the person next door?
The friend down the street?
The coworker who sat silently in the next cubicle, slowly unraveling?
We praise the power of vulnerability after someone is gone—but dismiss it in real time.
We hear someone vent, and we minimize it.
“Oh, you’ll be okay.”
“You’re strong.”
“Just pray about it.”
But what if they aren’t okay?
What if they don’t feel strong?
What if they’ve been praying and it still feels like silence on the other end?
People aren’t always going to scream their pain.
Sometimes, the cry for help sounds like a casual text.
Like withdrawing slowly.
Like sharing a meme that seems “a little too real.”
Like saying “I’m tired,” and meaning it in a way that runs much deeper than needing rest.
And here’s the truth nobody wants to admit:
Some of you did know.
You saw the heaviness in their eyes.
Heard the shakiness in their laugh.
Watched them fold into themselves, and still—you said nothing. Or worse, you looked the other way.
You witnessed the acts. You witnessed the pain. You stayed silent. And silence? That can be just as harmful as the act itself.
Normalize stepping in.
Normalize sharing the weight.
Normalize being the person who listens before the eulogy.
Before the tribute post. Before the regret.
It shouldn’t take a tragedy to start checking on your strong friends.
Or the quiet ones.
Or the funny ones.
Or the ones who always say “I got it” when they’re really drowning.
Be kind. Be present. Be aware—not just in the aftermath, but in the middle of someone’s storm.
Because you never know when your silence might be the final blow.
And you never know when your kindness might be the very thing that saves a life.
-Kae-
Disclaimer:
This post is not meant to diminish the recent tragedy that has impacted so many of us deeply. My heart is with the family, friends, and all who are grieving.
This message is a call to widen our lens—because while we honor those we’ve lost, we must also begin to see the people still here, still struggling, still silently holding on.
Everyone deserves a lifeline—before the end of a life.
Kae Jaye The Writer 