Why I Claimed the title, “The Warrior KQueen,” and Why I Continue to Embrace it in the New Decade of my life. “She wasn’t looking for a Knight. She was looking for a Sword.” – Atticus Dear Fellow Warrior, I hope you had a fantastic summer. August is over, and we are now in the…
On Suicide Prevention Month
“This life. This night. Your story. Your pain. Your hope. It matters. All of it matters.” — Jamie Tworkowski Dear Fellow Warrior, It is the end of National Suicide Prevention Month in America. On October 19th, I will walk for the 10th year in the Out of the Darkness, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Community…
I Tried to Tell You: A Suicide Note (#2)
“If you’re looking for a sign not to kill yourself, this is it.” – Unknown Dear Fellow Warrior, I pray you are having a fruitful Suicide Prevention Month. This is a spoken word poem I wrote at a vulnerable moment this month. I believe it is crucial to honor our authenticity, even as we push through…
Intrusive Thoughts
Dear Fellow Warrior, There is so much to say sometimes. Way too much…It’s all there. All in the head. The ruminations. I even started a document called Ruminations while I work on my Academic job applications because I cannot seem to get myself to concentrate, in part because of the shame and guilt I feel…
When You Know …
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Kahlil Gibran Dear Fellow Warrior, When you begin to see things clearer…see the truth… when you begin to learn more about what “mental health stigma” and what “mental health bigotry” looks like across all domains… in the family,…
Rising Above Adversity
“Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” – Aristotle Dear Fellow Warrior, Sometimes, when I go out, maybe to the grocery store or run an errand, my mind tends to think that I still look like the person I was “before.” Before the pandemic. Before this grey zone – ‘identity crisis’…
My Words…
“Stories are a communal currency of humanity.” — Tahir Shah Dear Fellow Warrior, I sometimes wonder, if I die at any point… would people read my journals. I write in cursive.. and some of the cursive is illegible….but perhaps what I write, in stream of consciousness and for catharsis, by hand, would be more difficult…
A Love Letter to the Buree Nazar (Evil Eyes)
Dear Fellow Warrior, I had written this letter to the Buree Nazar, a few years ago, after I finished my PhD. I lost that poem, because it was handwritten somewhere on loose-leaf paper, unfortunately. I will share another article that explains what the “Buree Nazar” concept is in the near future, should you not be…