Dear Manang,
Everyone is concerned about mental health. How can something unseen cause alarm? My friend seems to have seriously been committed to a facility because of it. Yet, he is still highly functional, so it seems. I don’t understand? I get sad but that’s it. I just go to the garden and pluck the weeds out of the pots. I have a coffee and am good. What’s the fuss?
Terima of Felipe Jose St., Baguio City
Dear Terima,
Different strokes for different folks. We have various coping mechanisms and this is mental health. I don’t claim to know much about these things but what I learned is that if your state affects your relationships with people around you, it is serious. You lucky duck. Planting and coffee are your ways of dealing with depression but many folks aren’t so lucky. It goes to the extent of suicide and turns fatal. There’s no need to reach that level, this is when you seek help to cope with it.
Let’s have some coffee,
Manang
Dear Manang,
I know that God puts us where He needs us most. I don’t understand it but I just need to carry this out through the next year. I am challenged to carry out a project for a community and am not sure if I have enough leadership to do it. I am scared of failing.
Ging of Adiwang, Baguio City
Dear Ging,
You answered your own fears. How can one fail if God is by your side? Leadership is not to command but to show the way. Just be the best example and you can do it. Don’t worry about the naysayers, they are the failures even before trying.
Keep the faith,
Manang
