09/24/2026
Today marks six years since one of the most significant days of my life — and somehow, it also falls on our final day at SereniTea in Mendon. 🤍 In honor of Su***de Prevention Month, I think it’s the perfect time to share. Six years ago today, I almost didn’t make it to tomorrow. I came close to ending my own life. I had struggled with suicidal thoughts for as long as I could remember. My childhood was traumatic, and I carried things I didn’t know how to process. I remember being young and believing I wouldn’t live to see my 18th birthday. What people may not have realized was how well I appeared to be doing. I showed up. I kept going. I looked “okay” while struggling deeply inside. But that day, six years ago, I knew something had to change. I chose life. I checked myself into the hospital and decided to prioritize my mental health. Since then, I’ve consistently attended counseling, worked with a psychiatrist, faced things I spent years avoiding, and learned that healing isn’t linear. But it is possible. That journey is a huge part of why SereniTea means so much to me. SereniTea is more than coffee, tea or matcha. It’s an opportunity to create a space where people can walk through the door exactly as they are and know they belong. I want to use this platform to help break the stigma surrounding mental health and remind people that it’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to need support. You never know what someone who appears “okay” may be carrying. As we close our chapter in Mendon and prepare to open the next in Hudson, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Today is bittersweet, but I’m so excited to continue our mission and do even more mental health and wellness work in our new community. Six years ago, I had no idea what my future would look like. Today, I’m still here. I’m a better mom. I’m building something I believe in. I’m closing one chapter and stepping into another. And I get to use some of the hardest parts of my story to hopefully help someone else feel less alone. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my story. Six years ago today, I chose life. And I’m so grateful I did. 🤍 If you’re struggling, please reach out.
