Colegas,
As we close a month of April showers, we welcome May flowers as a fresh reminder of the importance of self-care and compassion. May brings us Mental Health Awareness Month, space for us to take a step back and revisit our bodies, take care of our mental wellness, and be mindful of how we can help others around us. Mental health, not just in the United States but also around the world, is heavily stigmatized. It is up to us to transform the use of language and behavior around mental health and normalize taking care of ourselves as individuals and as a community.
COVID-19 further exacerbated the extreme physical and mental health inequities of various communities. According to a study conducted by the National Mental Health Alliance, more than half of Hispanic young adults ages 18-25 with serious mental illness may not receive treatment. Barriers include lack of access to therapists and counselors, stigma around getting help, lack of awareness regarding resources and methods of treatment and prevention.
For a moment, let me be blunt: if your staff, partners, or vendors are not healthy, they can’t produce, can't contribute economically to your organization. But this is bigger than economics. I invite you to join me in showing your loved ones, your colleagues and community, or simply those you come across every day that you care about their mental health. If I heal, we all heal.
As the Lak’ech Mayan translated by Luis Valdez saying goes:
Tú eres mi otro yo (You are my other me).
Si te hago daño a ti (If I do harm to you),
Me hago daño a mi mismo (I do harm to myself).
Si te amo y respeto (If I love and respect you),
Me amo y respeto yo (I love and respect myself).
May also brings us to moments of commemoration. We honor our Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders community for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. And we also pay tribute to our fallen heroes this Memorial Day; honoring those who have given their lives to our country, ensuring our freedom.
Finally, a special gracias to the people who have fulfilled the role of Mom, Mama, Mami, Mum, Madre…motherhood, Happy Mother’s Day! There’s still time to send a card with a heartfelt message of appreciation (and a massage or flowers wouldn’t be bad either!).
And to you, I give thanks. Every day I am grateful to share this space with you remembering if one of us thrives, then we all thrive.
Saludos,
Veronica Cool
CEO & Hispanic Strategist
