Tell your story. It’s like honey on the tip of a straw. Stir into life the sweetness of truth. 

Tell your story. It’s the only way to freedom. 

On Saturday a man said to me through tears that if the only thing you do is tell your story, then your life will have left this world a better place.

The tears told part of his story, how his daughter survived suicide and so much more. Now she is headed to seminary in the fall.

There is no one story about mental illness. We embody a multitude of stories within us in a single day. So we won’t fool ourselves into thinking that just one story is enough or one voice is enough to break the silence, because it’s not enough.

This movement to end the stigma and shame around mental illness needs more voices. We need to hear from brothers and sisters of color, we need to hear from members of the gay, lesbian, trans* and bisexual and questioning communities. We need to hear more from youth and veterans.

We need to hear the stories of people who live with chronic mental disabilities and we need to hear from people who are silenced and sidelined.

Tell your story. The world needs to know what it is like to be you so that we can better understand and be more compassionate. 

I want to hear your story and the woman walking her dog wants to hear your story and the kid on the bus wants to hear the story, too. 

It’s stories that ultimately give us hope because in our stories we can shape our lives into meaning. 

The individual self connects to others through sharing stories. The shame and stigma causes people with mental illness to feel isolated and alone. Speaking out, breaking the silence, and sharing our stories about mental illness is like honey on the tip of a straw. 

Hope tastes like honey.