Lumapit kayo sa akin, kayong lahat na nahihirapan at nabibigatang lubha sa inyong pasanin, at kayo’y bibigyan ko ng kapahingahan.

Mateo 11:28

Flinex ni Rosario ang isang casual but well–composed mother–daughter photo sa kanyang LinkedIn page. She talked about her heart-to-heart conversation with her daughter Venus at ang struggle nito with mental illness. As a CEO, Rosario wanted so much to give a solution to her daughter’s problem. Pero pinigilan niya ang sarili, allowing her mother’s heart to just listen and ponder.

Hindi nag-iisa si Rosario in trying to grasp the inner thoughts of her child struggling with mental illness. Madalas ay hindi rin maintindihan ng maraming mga magulang kung bakit ang feelings of pressure and concern ay naghahatid ng anxiety sa kanilang mga anak. Many parents ask: What could I have done differently to provide a better and easier path for my child to navigate? 

Anxiety can sometimes captivate the mind, when it starts to obsess over a million reasons why something went wrong. O di kaya ay ang kabaligtaran na tumakbo sa problema at magtago sa mundo!

Do we honestly think that struggles with mental health can be handled in our own strength? Is it as easy as a CEO making a decision and moving to the next item in the agenda? We can be positively toxic in delivering our well-meaning words of wisdom and bring more devastation!

Maliwanag ang invitation ni Jesus for us to give Him our anxiety: “Lumapit kayo sa akin, kayong lahat na nahihirapan at nabibigatang lubha sa inyong pasanin, at kayo’y bibigyan ko ng kapahingahan” (Mateo 11:28). It’s the best time to pray to God and trust Him to grant the freedom to be at peace!