I am a suburban black woman.  I have a wonderful husband and two boys, ages 8 and 10.  I returned to school to show my sons no matter what age you are, you can be what you want to be.

This year, as said by so many media reports, political and popular figures, friends, and family has been “unprecedented.” No one knows which way is up, and which way is down.

I wish I didn’t have to wake up every day to this war. All I’ve done for years is fight and I’m so tired.

I’m in my junior year and I am really taking my classes seriously, but this bat-shit craziness in this world has almost derailed my future hopes.

Balancing this pandemic, work, election season, and racial tensions while also being in school is mentally draining.

For the last few years I didn’t feel I mattered. I was a nobody and in the mind of society night never be anybody.

TW: disordered eating.  It just started happening during quarantine, I was home all the time and gained weight.

I grew up being teased about my complexion and those things really got to me.

I’ve been contemplating about this for a while now, and I think it’s time for me to come out.

I feel like if someone were to ask me simply and genuinely, “how are you doing?” I would breakdown.

I feel like there is such a huge weight on me to be one of the first people in my family to get a degree but also not to disappoint myself.

The feeling of being alone has been so prevalent in my life lately.

I recently moved out in August for the first time. This has been hard being on my own and dealing with everything by myself and being alone most of the day.

I am a senior in the College of Nursing, and I am struggling this semester.

“Tides” is about anxiety, and how a lot of progress, especially when relating to mental health, isn’t linear.

You can be doing ok, seemingly getting better every day, then have a string of rough days in a row without any warning or apparent reason.

It’s been a long hard four years. I’ve lost a couple of friends and made some even better ones.

It’s not political to talk about general problems that have been going on in the country and people need to accept that. We should talk more about these issues and work together to make changes in our state.

During COVID-19 attempts to stay “safer at home,” being mandated to work from home, and already attending classes online, I’ve come to realize I don’t actually like my home.

Each day of this semester has been a blur. Each day bleeds into the next and I have lost all sense of control in my life. The student I was in January of 2020 and the student I am now are two different people.

I haven’t done anything fun or productive other than schoolwork for the last month.