twloha

Tomorrow, or today- depending on when you read this?.. anyway, Thursday is an *unofficial* TWLOHA Day. (as it is also "officially" Self-Injury Awareness Day)
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit organization all about raising awareness and presenting hope and help for anyone struggling with depression, addictions, self-injury/eating disorders and suicide.   TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest in treatment and recovery.
If you're not familiar with TWLOHA, you can read more of my thoughts in a previous post I wrote on the idea, my story and my passion for it.  Or you can go to their website for their whole story. :)

A TWLOHA "Day" (which could be every day) is a day set aside to specifically write it on your arms...
write it on, speak it out, share your story if you have one.


Rumor has it, there's also a "wear TWLOHA" day coming up at the end of the month... which, again, is obviously any day you want it to be, but a good "join the movement" kind of day if you need an excuse to purchase, i.e. to donate, to a great cause. :)

If you decide to write words of LOVE on your arm tomorrow, -or wear a t-shirt any day- please know this; The goal is not to simply be "in on something" or to be cute or anything to do with fashion. Their title, "to write love on her arms", was created as a goal and in physically doing so, we're opening up conversations.  Every single time I wear my shirt, I have someone ask what it means.  Every time.  And so every time, I can share a quick synopsis of what TWLOHA is about and a glimpse of what they are striving to bring to this broken world.  They're inviting people to fight for their lives and for the lives of their friends. We're inviting people to believe better things.

I personally think if you want to help spread the word about hope and help, that would be a great thing. If you want to wear a shirt or call a friend or reach out to someone you never knew might be struggling.  If you want to tell people that they need other people, that every story, that every person, matters - this is the goal. These things need to be said because they are true.  And people everywhere need these reminders.  Because it is a fact that too many people live alone under other lies.

I 'm here to continue to figure out what this word "love" means. To aim for how it should look... maybe something like humility and kindness.  Maybe with encouragement and acceptance.  Most likely brimming with honesty and compassion.

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; 

you have loosed my sorrow and clothed me with gladness, 

that my heart may sing your praise and not be silent. 

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"

Psalm 30:11-12