Men's Mental Health Month: "The Weight You Carry"

Men's Mental Health Month is important to us! And we're here to break the stigma. Men you matter. Your life matters. You are seen. And we stand with you here at Honestly Speaking Alone Together.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome back. Welcome back to Honestly Speaking Alone Together, a place where real conversations happen. Life isn't always neat, polished, or easy, and here we're not pretending that it is. This podcast is about faith, grief, healing, truth, and the moments that shape us. It's about speaking honestly, about the struggles we face, the lessons we learn, and the hope we find along the way. Some conversations may challenge you, some may encourage you, and some may simply remind you that you are not alone. So take a deep breath, settle in, and let's talk about the things that matter most. Hi, I'm Erin Sparks, and this is honestly speaking, alone together. Well, welcome back, you guys. Welcome back. I'm so glad that we are back on for another great episode. Um, we know, of course, that this is June, and June is men's mental health month. Um, last month in May, um, it was mental health month. And so we just are breaking the stigma today um every day, and we are speaking up for those who are silently fighting battles um in themselves, and we are talking about the things that matter, and that is that it is okay to not be okay. So, mental health may have months, which we just stated May and June, but truly mental health is important every single day. But today we are talking about men's mental health month, and the topic today is called the weight they carry. So, this is not just another episode that we're doing. You know, today is a conversation that it really needs to happen. Um, today it's about the men, the fathers, the sons, the brothers, husbands, grandfathers, friends, the men who show up every day but are carrying burdens that nobody sees. Know somebody like that, or you think you have somebody in your corner that you know like that or your circle? They're the men who smile when they're breaking, the men who tell everyone I'm fine, when deep down they are anything but fine. If that's you today, brother, I want you to hear something before we go any further. You are not forgotten, you are not invisible, and you are not alone. And I want to let you know this episode is for you. So as we begin, I want to honor someone very special and near and dear to my heart, and that is Cannon, a son deeply loved, a life that continues to impact countless people, um, a young man whose story reminds me why these conversations matter. Cannon's legacy will live on every time we choose honesty over silence, every time someone speaks up instead of suffering alone, and every time someone reaches out for help instead of giving up. Today we honor you, Canon, by continuing the mission you started, by having the hard conversations, by refusing to pretend, and by choosing truth. There is a crisis happening all around us. Men are dying in silence, men are struggling in silence, men are carrying impossible weights in silence, and too many are convinced they have to do it alone. Somewhere along the way, society taught men that strength means suppressing emotions, that tears are weakness, that vulnerability is a failure, that asking for help somehow makes you less of a man. And those lies have cost lives, far too many lives, including my son. The truth is that some of the strongest men you'll ever meet are the ones brave enough to say, I need help. I'm struggling, I'm hurting, I don't know what to do. That takes courage, my brother. Real courage. And maybe you're listening today and nobody knows how much you are caring. Maybe you're providing for your family while secretly wondering how much longer you can keep going. Maybe you've lost someone, maybe you're battling with anxiety, maybe depression has wrapped itself around your life. Maybe grief follows you everywhere you go, brother. Maybe you wake up exhausted before the day even starts. And maybe, just maybe, you've become so accustomed to surviving that you've forgotten what living feels like. If that's where you are, brother, hear me clearly. Your life matters, your story matters, your pain matters, and your presence matters. The people around you may not always know how to say it, but you matter. Now I want to talk about you know what the Bible gives us. You know, it gives us a different picture of strength than the world does. Let me let me let me break it down a little bit more for you. Jesus himself wept. Think about that. The Savior of the world stood at the tomb of Lazarus and cried. Not because he lacked power, not because he lacked faith, but because he felt grief, he felt sorrow, he felt loss. The shortest verse in scripture actually carries enormous truth. Jesus wept. If the Son of God could cry, my dear friend and brother, why have we convinced ourselves that men cannot? If Jesus expressed emotion, why do we shame men for expressing theirs? God never called men to be emotionless. God called men to be honest, God called men to be courageous, and he called you, brother, to walk in truth. Notice this right here. When we look at, you know, because I love to bring this verse out. You know, I love to bring this verse out. Psalm 34, 18, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Listen to me, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Now it doesn't say God only comes near when you're strong. Uh-uh. It says God, it doesn't say God only comes near when you've gotten it all together. It doesn't say that God only comes near when you're smiling. It says he comes near to the brokenhearted, near to those crushed in spirit, near to those who feel like they cannot take another step, near to those who are exhausted, hurting, struggling. And maybe today you're closer to God than you realize because you're standing in the very place where He promised to meet you. Let's tear down a wall right now. We we tearing the wall down. Do you hear me? Today we tearing it down for our men, y'all. Men cry. Good men cry, strong men cry, godly men cry. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Tears are not weakness, and sometimes tears are proof you've been strong for far too long, my dear brother. Sometimes tears are years of pain finally finding a way out into the surface. Sometimes tears are healing, surrender, and the beginning of your freedom. You don't have to apologize for feeling. You are human, and God created you with emotions. You don't have to hide them anymore. And let's tear down another wall. Talking to someone is not weakness. Letting people know or letting someone know that you're not okay. That's not weakness. Let me tell you, the truth in that is it is wisdom. Find someone you trust, even if that's me, you need to message me. Find someone you trust, a pastor, a friend, a counselor, a spouse, a brother, someone safe, someone who will listen, not just merely hear you, but listen. Someone who will sit with you in the dark until the light returns in your life. See, now the other part of this is that the enemy wants you in isolation. Let's just be totally honest about this. But God created connection, dear brother. The enemy whispers, no one understands, no one cares. Just keep it to yourself. But healing begins when silence ends. Healing begins when truth is spoken. And healing, my brother, begins when someone says, Me too. See, I believe there are men listening today who are exhausted from pretending. You've become an expert at hiding. You know how to smile, how to joke, how to shout, how to show up. But inside you're hurting. And maybe no nobody knows. Maybe you've been carrying things for years. Maybe you've convinced yourself that nobody would care if you disappeared. Maybe you've convinced yourself people would be better off without you, that you are a burden. Let me tell you right now, we're breaking another wall down. Let's let's tear it down today. Those are lies, brother. Dangerous lies. Your family need you, your friends need you, your children need you, this world needs you. And most importantly, God is not finished with you. Your story is not over. This chapter is not the end. There's light at the end of the tunnel. And if you're listening right now and you've had thoughts of ending your life, I want you to stop for a moment and hear me clearly, brother.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Stay. Stay another day.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

Stay another hour. Stay another minute. Stay. There are conversations you haven't had yet. There are moments you haven't experienced yet. There is healing you haven't seen yet. And there is hope you haven't discovered yet. Stay because tomorrow needs you. To every father listening, your children do not need a perfect dad. They need a present one. To every husband listening, you don't have to carry every burden alone. To every young man listening, your value is not determined by your success. To every older man listening, your story still matters. Your wisdom still matters. Your life still matters. At Alone Together, we believe something very powerful. We believe people heal when they realize they are not alone. We believe darkness loses power when light enters the room. We believe conversations save lives. We believe honesty saves lives. And we believe community saves lives. But the biggest, biggest thing we believe, hear it alone together, is that God still heals hearts. So as we close today, I want to speak directly to the man who feels unseen. Hear me clearly, the man who feels forgotten, the man who feels exhausted, the man who feels broken, you are seen. You are loved, you are valuable, wanted, and you are not a burden. And you are not alone. You do not have to carry this by yourself anymore. Reach out, my dear brother. Make the call, send the text, talk to someone, take the first step. Let today be the day your silence loses. Let today be the day healing begins. Let today, brother, be the day you choose to stay. Let's honor Canon by continuing to fight for one another. Let's honor him by checking on our brothers. Let's honor him by creating spaces where honesty is welcomed. Let's honor Canon by refusing to let people suffer alone. And let's honor Canon by reminding every man listening today. You are seen and you are valued. And no matter what you're facing, dear brother, you are never alone. This is, honestly speaking, alone together. Until next time, keep showing up, brother. Keep speaking truth, keep reaching out, and keep holding on. There is hope, and your story is still being written. Son, I love you dearly, and I miss you beyond words can even describe. I will continue to carry the torch of alone together and speak honestly about the things that matter, the conversations that matter, the talks that matter. You're missed beyond words, and we got you, brother. We got you, son, from here. And before we close out, I have a couple of guest ladies, um, that I'm going to let encourage our brothers today. Ladies, where are you? Ladies, we have Brooklyn and we have London. Um they are my daughters. They are Canon's sisters, and they would like to give just a just a few words of encouragement for our men today. Ladies, girls, what do you have for our men today in this men's mental health month? What what sticks out to you? What matters? What do you remember? What do you miss about Canon? And what would you like to encourage people with today? Our men. Brooklyn? You matter and we love people. Yeah, that's right. That's very true. London, what would you like to tell our men today?

SPEAKER_00 15:15

We love you and we're gonna keep praying for you.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

I love it. I absolutely love it. Well, men, you've heard from Brooklyn and London. Men, you matter. You matter in so so in so many ways that you can't even imagine. You matter, and so here and honestly speaking, alone together, we love you guys. Hey, let's stay in the fight. It ain't over yet. You're still here for a purpose, for a special reason. All right, you guys. Until next time, I'm Aaron, and this is honestly speaking, alone together.