Jon Paul: Tribalism leads down dark path we were not intended to travel

To The Daily Sun,

Recently, I lost a friend to mental illness. Life had beat him down to an existence that was propped up by not much more than despair. When I heard of his death, I was racked with guilt. Why hadn’t I connected with him in years? Why wasn’t I a better friend to him? It didn’t have to go that way. His loss has left a wound that will never heal. I share this story not seeking sympathy but to remind people that we are more than the sum of our thoughts and beliefs. We are all interconnected, like it or not. We are more than our race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political leanings or social status. We are all human beings deserving of love. We can all disagree about topics, but when we start marginalizing or referring to other people as the enemy because we disagree with them, we diminish what God has gifted us with, which is life and love. Tribalism leads down a dark path that we were not intended to travel on. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, and we all are, or will be, in some way touched by it. And knowing this, we need to be gentle with ourselves and others, even if the other person irritates the heck out of us. It is not a weakness or character flaw to have a mental illness. It is an illness requiring treatment like any other ailment. People don’t get to choose their brain chemistry, crushing disappointments, trauma, or life’s tragedies, but they do have a choice to seek out help. If anyone is struggling, or in crisis, there is help available by calling 988. Know that everyone is important, loved and have a purpose.

Jon Paul

Alton Bay