Mercy

In grade 11, I once made up an imaginary character. And she has inspired me to stand for mental health and to embrace all the awesome parts about myself.

Let me tell you all about her. Her name is Mercy. She is a professional dancer by career and performs in a variety of locations. Her skills are incredible. She knows how to perform dances for all of today’s popular songs and can perform amazing lyrical solos too. Her costume is all red (she usually wears it most of the time), with the glistening word “Mercy” engraved on it in pink. The red symbolizes her strength and resilience, and the pink symbolizes her kindness.

Her personality is something that I’ve always admired and aspired to be like. She is an incredibly kind and loving person to everyone she meets. She is understanding, comforting, and her presence can soothe the pain of her friends.

If she sees someone who is depressed, she goes and comforts them. Asks them what is bothering them. She tells them what they need to hear, whether it’s an “I’m here for you” or an “I believe in you” or that “It’s okay to feel how you’re feeling.”

If she sees her friend botch a performance, she will comfort them and remind them that she knows that they are a skilled dancer despite messing the performance up. “You are an amazing dancer and messing up the performance doesn’t change that fact. I am proud of how far you’ve come.” This goes the same for every other endeavour, whether it’s coursework, careers, or overcoming addictions.

If she sees someone who is under immense pressure from the mounting deadlines in university or high school, she won’t add an ounce of pressure to their already overloaded and exhausted minds. She won’t tell you that you “just need to get over it and suck it up and deal with it.” She will comfort you. She will help you study. She will encourage you and tell you to keep trying if you fail. She will always believe in you no matter what mark you get.

If she sees someone who constantly has to face the stigma of mental illness within society, she won’t contribute to it. She won’t tell you that you’re “weak” or you’re “dangerous” or that you “aren’t good enough”, all of which is a bunch of nonsense anyways. She will remind you of all the reasons you are a badass. All the reasons to believe in yourself. Everything you’ve accomplished. Every struggle you’ve overcome. She’ll tell you that she has always believed in your strength. Your awesomeness. Your power. You.

Yesterday, I was feeling awful about myself. And I could just hear her voice tell me everything that is wonderful about me. How I treat my friends. How I am resilient. How I never give up. How I am funny. How I am a talented piano player. How I always want to be the best I can be.

Embrace your awesomeness, Su. Be proud of all the reason to be proud of yourself.

She has taught me that it’s okay to be proud of who we are. It’s good for our mental health to see ourselves for our strengths and all the wonderful aspects. We need to love ourselves more and my friends agree.

She has taught me that kindness is not weakness. You can be strong and be kind at the same time. Mercy is incredibly strong. She always keeps trying, always practicing, always not giving up on what means a lot to her. She’s not afraid to give everything her best. She gets hurt sometimes from the pressure and refuses to let it stop her. I will say it again: You can be strong and be kind at the same time. They’re not mutually exclusive.

She has taught me what it truly means to love someone, to be there for them in their darkest times, with their darkest demons. Give them a non-judgemental, comforting friend. Encouraging them, reminding them of all the strength that is within them. Helping them find ways to feel better and cope instead of just dismissing their struggles.

She has saved lives. LIVES. By being who she is. By being the amazing, compassionate human being she is.

I want to be like Mercy. I want to follow her example. To be strong in the face of struggle. To persevere in what matters to me. Most importantly, to be kind and understanding to others who are struggling with mental health issues. Encouraging people. Making their day. Being there for them when they need it the most.

In today’s climate, with all of the pressures of university, jobs, and society, we need more kindness in this world. We need more understanding. We need more encouragement. We need more empowerment. We need more cheering on each other.

She is incredibly powerful, strong, and kind. That is why I want to be like her. And I am fiercely proud for wanting to be like her.

P.S. She has inspired me to learn how to dance too. Haha.