Rabbit Hole

   I recently finished Mark Billingham's Rabbit Hole, a mystery set inside a mental health hospital.  I read a decent amount of mysteries, as they're easy to be absorbed into and a complete distraction from the outside world.  

  Rabbit Hole revolves around a sudden and suspicious death that takes place in the hospital, and the main character is a former police officer who suddenly is immersed in her old role while still dealing with the trauma that led her into her current situation, where her view on reality became tenuous as she struggled to deal with traumatic recent events.

  It's an interesting story, one with an unexpected twist at the end, but I think the real value is the insight that changes in mental health can happen to anyone, at any time.  Life may be cruising along as expected, and then things can change in an instant.  It's easy to take mental health for granted, until it's gone, and suddenly you're trying to make sense of things you never thought you'd have to grapple with.  I remember spending many an hour in bed in the wee hours of the morning trying to deal with racing thoughts and invented situations, something I never would have expected mere months beforehand.  Life changes in an instant, and none of us are immune from this.  

  So when we look at the world around us, and we see brothers and sisters struggling with mental health, may we be compassionate, and recognize our common humanity.  I pray that society continues to invest in pursuing mental health for each and for all, and that we understand how mental health impacts every aspect of life -- it's not a silo that stands on its own, but rather a central point which radiates into every relationship and every part of life.  

  May we always treat one another with kindness, for we need that kindness ourselves.