Mental health issues run genetically in my family. My mom and dad both grew up without their fathers due to the consequences of suicide. My grandfathers on both sides dealt with severe depression and it left a deep wound in my parents as children. It is something that our family takes very seriously and that is mainly why I felt like I could relate to this question. When I was in middle school my sister Hannah, who is three years older than me, became depressed and anxious to a level that I did not understand. I remember going to bed at night in my room and I could hear her have panic attacks through the wall. I would cry watching her sleep all day while she switched to online school. Hannah and I are very close and looking back I know that watching her deal with chronic depression and anxiety really scared me. Fast forward to my junior year of high school, my sister Hannah had grown so much and learned how to find joy amidst mental health struggles. She was back to herself, and I was going through my own battle. It was almost overnight that I fell into the deepest pit of anxiety I feel possible. I woke up paralyzed with fear of existential questions that I and no else one could answer. I have memories of pacing up and down my driveway for no reason other than I could not handle the amount of anxiety I was feeling. I began obsessing over this anxiety and I spent a full year not understanding what was wrong with my mind before I went to therapy. When I finally got help, I was diagnosed with OCD. I was not able to let go of my irrational fears because I was literally obsessing over them, and I needed reassurance to move on. I share my story because it explains my experience with mental health and it helps to explain how it shaped who I am today. Before dealing with anxiety I felt peace and joy in life from certainty. I enjoyed life because I felt safe and I understood who I was. I was way less understanding towards friends who struggled, or to my sister who had struggled with mental health. I did not understand the concept of depression and I felt it was a choice to have a negative attitude. Anxiety to me was just a feeling that you could stop if you tried hard enough. I did not understand the amount of pain that people carry and the lack of control they feel. Now that I have dealt with mental health I am a much deeper person. I can see a clear contrast in my past naive and ignorant self, and today I have grown in my empathy for others dealing with the same issue. I feel like I have become more easygoing as a person towards anyone having a bad day, and I have come to the understanding that you never know what anyone is going through. Anything hard that you go through will create a stronger and better person in the end. Rather than seeking comfort from external sources, I have become someone who is self-sufficient. I have become loving towards myself knowing what I have been through. I love people deeper than I did before and I have become very sensitive to others' pain and hardships. Going through something so hard has allowed me to realize that in the end, nothing matters more than loving others and loving yourself. This understanding reminds me of the bible verse in Corinthians that says, "Without love, I am nothing". When your mental health is at its worst it scrapes away the weakest parts within you and creates resilience and compassion. I do not wish depression, anxiety, OCD, or any other mental health struggle on anyone, but I know that it can shape your outlook to be much kinder and more understanding. I also know that it emphasizes the value of relationships and support even when lacking an understanding of what someone is going through.

One experience that has shaped me into who I am today is my battle with anxiety and OCD. This experience sprung up from the turmoil of covid-19, school cancellations, and political division. Subconsciously, I was carrying a lot, this created a negative effect on my health. Although this was a very negative and frustrating life experience, it created compassion and depth within me; which I am thankful for. Anxiety has been a genetic and mental struggle that runs in my family. This inheritance, allowed my struggle with mental health to be understood by the people closest to me. My family was very understanding and encouraging when it came to my mental and emotional battle. I spent many late nights feeling overwhelmed with fear, confusion, and impatience to "get over it". There were moments where my irrational thinking would grip me with fear and I felt as though my life was over. Through this pain I became stronger, I also became more passionate to understand the effects of mental health and how to heal from it. My journey is far from over, but this experience humbled me. It showed me to consider the deeper struggles in others' lives. Today, I can handle hard things as a human being. I can listen to others with better understanding and more compassion for what they are going through. Overall this hard experience has shaped me into a better, kinder and stronger person.

When I think about simple pleasures, my mind goes straight back to being a child. A significant simple pleasure for me is nostalgic memories; ones of camping and laughing around a fire with my cousins. My aunts drinking wine and telling us stories of their childhood. Hearing the frogs at night and the ocean waves, while sleeping in a damp tent filled with family. All of these memories I carry with me today and I get to relive most summers. Some of my day-to-day simple pleasures are drinking coffee in the mornings, I love the smell of coffee and the familiarity it brings. I look forward to the sound and smell of summer nights again, and the cool Washington breeze from my window that reminds me I'm home. Clean sheets and a freshly washed face make me feel clean and cozy. Decorating my room to my current taste continually fulfills my creativity. Driving up the driveway to meet my overweight, enthusiastic, beagle named Doug makes me laugh. Giving my mom a hug and watching movies with my dad makes me feel safe. Getting my nails done and picking a fresh color makes me feel put together. My grandma cooking me breakfast and giving me lectures on the importance of sunscreen and black ice in the mornings makes me feel loved. Going on a painful run outside humbles me and somehow makes me feel confident. Filling up my car with a full tank of gas makes me feel stress-free. Laughing through another episode of 'The Office' with my sister makes me feel closer to her. Writing about life's little moments feels sentimental and personal, it makes me appreciate it more. The big moments come around once in a while, but the little moments will be there for you every day!

The most helpful piece of financial advice I have ever been given was from my aunt Pam. She always gives the best advice and wisdom. She would emphasize these words, "invest, invest, invest!" and "save, save save!" Simple advice, yet so valuable. This is the best piece of advice I have received because I have heard it everywhere else after her. The older I get, the more research I am able to do on investing and now I feel like it is as important as having any money at all. There is a quote by Warren Buffet that says, "someone's standing in the shade today, because someone planted a tree a long time ago". I feel that financial freedom starts with saving and investing your savings. As college comes along I am learning more about debt and how much debt I will be in! That's why I am saving as much as I can now through my paychecks, and writing for scholarships to think ahead. I am also trying to listen to more podcasts on investing to grow my knowledge before jumping in. Finally, I want to have my own business one day, knowing this, I feel that it is important to see things financially. To learn and know when to save and when to take risks. Growing up, I was blessed with a family that had enough money to feel stable. My parents were financially safe, but not financially free. Every month they would get uptight when the bills needed paying, they would argue about spending too much and as a child it was stressful and frustrating. I want an easier lifestyle, where I can prioritize my goals over my bills, although this is not easy, I am trying to make good decisions now to "plant the tree!"

I believe that the biggest issue that our world faces is mental health. Although there are many urgent issues, mental health should no longer be swept under the rug. Could the world be more productive if every teenager, child, and adult had the support they needed to grow, be listened to, and feel encouraged? Resources and money that we as a country have should be invested into the wellbeing of today's and tomorrow's world. I feel strongly about this issue because I am currently an assistant educator at an elementary school. I have seen too many children struggle with behavioral issues due to a lack of support in the home. I see so much potential in each student, they all fight to do their best, but they do not know how to handle what they are feeling or experiencing. I see this emotional turmoil affect their schoolwork, focus, friendships, and happiness. This age group is too young for these feelings. These children are our future. As a country, we need to prioritize the children's psychological health and happiness. This starts with empathy and patience. If they do not have strong support then they will struggle hard to grow up to be motivated, changemakers. My second reason for feeling passionate about mental health support is that I have personally experienced anxiety and OCD. This has been a personal, lifelong struggle and, my parents struggled to afford counseling to support me. It was something my mom prioritized, and it helped me tremendously. Counseling is healing yet too expensive. Resources such as counseling, social awareness, encouraged healthy diets and active lifestyles need to be prioritized and pushed into our countries future. If every person had the resources to be healed, the world would be a more rational, safe, and motivating atmosphere.