The Adventures of Julie and Bella 2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to shine a light on something that so many of us quietly battle every single day. The truth is, you never really know what someone is going through. They could be walking right beside you, smiling, laughing, appearing “fine”… and still fighting a storm inside.

I know this all too well—because I am one of those people. 💔

For years, I’ve struggled with anxiety. I’ve become a master of pretending. Of putting on a brave face. Of going through my daily routines while internally screaming for peace. It’s so easy to disguise what you’re feeling, to make others believe you’ve got it all together, when the truth is… you don’t.

I constantly wrestle with thoughts that I don’t belong. That I’m not good enough. That I don’t fit in anywhere. Social situations feel overwhelming. 😞 Going out feels like a mountain I’m too tired to climb. So I stay in. I stay where it’s quiet, where I can breathe, where I’m not expected to “be okay.” 🏡

But even in the silence, my mind isn’t quiet. I carry wounds from the past—things that were said or done, moments that left deep scars. I replay them, trying to figure out if it was my fault, wondering what I could have done differently. I want to let go. But anxiety won’t let me. It holds on tightly. 🧠💭

Anxiety sucks. It truly does.

So this May, and every day, I ask one simple thing of you: Be kind. 💛

Please remember that many people are fighting battles you cannot see. Your words, your patience, your compassion—they matter more than you know. A little kindness can be the one soft landing someone needs on a hard day.

To those silently struggling like me: I see you. I am you. And you are not alone. 🤝

“Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.” — Joubert Botha

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