Introducing WISE by Sharon Mathiason

I’ve had cancer twice.  And each time we were overwhelmed with food and cards and phone calls and visits from family and friends.  There is no way to describe how much that outpouring of support meant to us.  But, when my daughter suffered from an eating disorder, my family and friends were no where to be found.

There was one exception.  The women in UCC’s Fourth Thursday Women’s Group listened when I talked about her illness.  They prayed.  They sent Jennifer cards.  They brought her a prayer shawl before she went to the hospital.  They told her that when she wore that shawl, she should think of all of them hugging her.  Jenn cherished that shawl.  While in the hospital, she shared it with anyone who was seriously struggling.  It was the knowledge that I had a safe place to share our pain without judgment that helped get us through those days. 

After 10 years of struggling with Jenn’s mental illness, I can’t say I know exactly what you should say or do for a family in a similar situation.  But I do know that the safety of 4TWG brought some calm in a world coming apart.

In the upcoming days and weeks you will hear about an effort to become a WISE congregation.  Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged.  If, as a congregation, we can offer a safe place to talk about illnesses that are often hidden, then we will be moving in that direction.  If we decide to learn about various mental illnesses, then we can speak with facts and help dispel myths and misconceptions.  It’s all part of being WISE.

If you’d like to help us, please join in our open meetings.  If you’d like to learn more about mental illness, then let us know and we’ll find speakers.  People suffering from a mental illness and their families need a safe place without judgment.  Like me they may not get that support from family and friends.  This may be the only place to find comfort.