Posts by Charli – Page 2 – Life with Charli

My Mental Health journey so far and looking forward in 2025

Picture taken from Pixabay

Hello everyone! Well guys, we are at the beginning of a new year again! As I was thinking about what I wanted to post next on my blog, I began thinking about how far I have come on my journey with working on my mental health. I started working on my mental health in 2020. I started from being afraid of going to therapy to firmly advocating for it. I went from being against psychiatric medication to believing in their effectiveness.

My journey has not been easy, and I have had a few depressive episodes and break downs. Last year though, I am proud to say that I have not had any depressive episodes or breakdowns. I’ve been feeling more confident than I’ve ever felt before. I’m doing so well with my mental health that I am even having less therapy sessions. At the beginning of my mental health journey, I was going to therapy 3 times a week. That’s how bad my mental health was. Now I’m seeing a therapist once every two weeks. My mental health is not perfect, but I feel so different than I felt before starting my mental health journey. I never thought I would reach to a point where I would be able to say I truly loved myself. I have never felt better. I am very much looking forward to another year of mental stability.

Update and Coffee

Picture taken from Pixabay

Hello all! Missed me? It’s been a while! I’m really sorry about that! I’ve been a little busy! I’m going to college soon, so I’ve been pretty busy preparing! I haven’t even been on social media in a while, and I particularly enjoy Twitter! I haven’t forgotten about my blog though! I don’t plan on ever giving up on this blog no matter what!

With that update out of the way, let’s move on to another topic: coffee! Did you know that October 1st was National Coffee Day? How many of you out there love coffee? If you didn’t know before, I live in the United States, and we love coffee over here! According to the National Coffee Association, 7 in 10 Americans consume coffee every week, and the average American drinks more than 3 cups of coffee per day.

In honor of this popular drink, I thought I would tell you about my first time drinking coffee! I saw two teenage girls making a drink at a machine while I was waiting in a waiting room at a school. I thought the girls were making hot chocolate, and I wanted some too. The problem was they weren’t making hot chocolate! They were making coffee, and a small child shouldn’t be drinking coffee! One of the teenage girls pointed that out, but the other girl said it was fine and made a cup for me. It was delicious! It was so good that I wanted to a second cup. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to work the machine, and the two teenage girls had already left. I decided to try my luck on my own with the machine, but before before I could figure out what I was doing, I was caught by my very upset mother.

I hope you enjoyed my little story! Do you like coffee? How often do you drink coffee, if at all? When was your first time drinking coffee? Thankyou for visiting and reading! Until next time!

Anne with an E and Father’s Day

My father recently introduced me to Netflix’s Anne with an E. It’s a show inspired by novel series Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maud “L.M.” Montgomery. For those who are unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables or Anne with an E, it is a story that follows the life of a very bright and curious red haired young girl named Anne. The story begins with her meeting an elderly brother and sister named Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.

My Dad loves Anne with an E. We watched it together several times recently. He just adores Anne and finds her so endearing. I love Anne too. There is no way you can watch the show and not fall for her charm. When the Cuthberts met Anne, they immediately loved her, especially Matthew. She changed their lives for the better. Matthew is shy and reserved, and is a man of few words. Meeting Anne helps him to come out of his shell a little. For her, he would do anything. It got to the point where Marilla often teased that Matthew spoiled Anne.

Matthew did not expect this change in his life. It reminds me of me of how my father wasn’t expecting his life to take the turn it did. My father was still in school, and expecting to continue school, when he met and fell in love with my mother. They got married and started a family. My father vowed when he had a his first child that he would do anything to make sure he was the best father he could be. Over the years, his children wanted for nothing. He was the ultimate provider. It was a struggle to provide everything his children needed and wanted, but his children never felt the struggle. Their father simply made being a parent look effortless. To my father, life was hard, but to his children, life was perfect.

I really enjoyed spending time watching Anne with an E with my Dad. It was lots of fun. As I mentioned before, Dad really loved Anne. I loved Matthew and his relationship with Anne. He showered her with love in his own special, quiet way, and Anne appreciated him for it, just like I appreciate my Dad for the sacrifices he made for me. I wish my father a very happy Father’s Day. He deserves my appreciation and so much more.

A Thankyou to a Wonderful Teacher

I’ve talked a lot about dealing with mental illness on here. I’ve been dealing with mental illness since early childhood. I was a very happy and talkative child. I can’t fully remember when that started to change, but I do know that I got bullied a lot in school. I’ve always been small for my age, so I stood out like a sore thumb.

This did not change when I reached to high school. When I was in primary school and secondary school I had the same classmates. I had different classmates when I went to high school, but the bullying still continued. My self esteem took a deep dive due to the bullying and only made my depression worsen. By my senior year, my depression took a tool on me and I stayed home from school a lot. I just didn’t like being in school. Then I saw my grades. The moment I took a look at them I went in to a bathroom and started crying. I was failing. If I didn’t shape up, I was in jeopardy of having to repeat my senior year. I started going back to school regularly.

Fortunately, I had very understanding teachers. One teacher in particularly was very helpful. I talked with her about my situation and that I was dealing with a lot. She decided to give me an open book test and to help boost my grade. She gave me a 75 for her class. I was grateful, but I don’t think I showed enough gratitude at the time. Looking back, I don’t remember even saying Thankyou. If I had a chance to see her again, I would give her the gratitude I didn’t at the time. I would tell her Thankyou. Thankyou for giving me a chance to explain myself. Thankyou for being understanding. Thanks to you, I graduated on time.

To My Strong Mother

Picture taken from Pixabay

If I had to pick a word to describe mothers, it would be “strong”. Giving birth is no easy feat. Some woman die giving birth. Still, woman continue to use their bodies to bring life into the world. Some women even give birth several times. This includes my own mother (yes I have siblings, but I won’t say how many). My mother is not just strong physically though. She is strong personality wise as well. She has always been a very confident woman, not letting anyone’s negative opinions bring her down. That confidence shines through whenever I need a pep talk to boost my confidence. When whenever I would feel down about my looks she would say she has no ugly children. It would always make me laugh and I would feel better about myself in that moment. She also uses her strong personality to advocate for me. I am a person with a disability. When I was a small child, my school wanted put me in a special education class. My mother was sure that I could learn with other children, so she fought for me to be in a general class. I just needed a little extra attention to keep up with my peers. My mother never took excuses from me. She knew I had limitations and understood them, but she also understood my strengths and had high expectations of me. I am truly grateful for my mother’s strength. If I am blessed to be a mother myself one day, I hope to be a rock to my child like she has been for me. On Mother’s Day and everyday, I celebrate my wonderful mother.

Here is what a few others hva to say about their mothers:

Kimberly Watson https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.watson.169 – My mother overcame a lot and still managed to be a loving and generous person.

Anurag Joti https://www.facebook.com/anurag.joti – Her care, cooking and all

Jutheblog Juane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551902597675 – The way she shows love to my sister and me through food, sometimes worrying too much about us and her sacrifices for us

See you in one year

Hi! It’s been a while since posted! For those who are not familiar with me, my name is Charli! I have a condition called Turner Syndrome. It is when I girl is born with one of her X chromosomes missing. Turner syndrome can lead to a lot of complications. Some of those complications include heart defects, hearing loss, and weak bones. I have been seeing my endocrinologist every six months to make sure that my health is ok. I’ve had to have surgery on my thyroid gland. Recently, however, my doctor told me that I can now see her once every year. My health is looking really good. As long as I continue taking my medication as prescribed, and continue making decent life choices, I will continue to be in good health. I consider myself to be very fortunate, especially since, like I said previously, Turner syndrome can lead to a lot of complications. There is so much I am thankful for. Being alive in the first place is something to be grateful for, because 99 percent of pregnancies involving a fetus with Turner syndrome end in miscarriage. Life sometimes throws us curveballs and challenges, but always remember that you are a fighter.

Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother – Book Review

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. This post will be a bit different, as i’m reviewing a book. The book is called “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother”, and the author is an African writer named Segilola Salami. The description of the book is below:

Description:

Follow Yetunde as she narrates her mother’s ode to her grandmother. It is the Yoruba praise poetry for a mother known as Oriki Iya. Yetunde is also thrilled and delighted by the ancient Yoruba tale passed down to her by her mother about Labakẹ, a young maiden who was kidnapped to be forced to marry a warrior king. Will Iya Labakẹ save her child in time? Is Iya Labakẹ just a simple defenceless mother? Or . . . ?

This is a short story dedicated to past, present and future mothers, a perfect Mother’s day present!

The book is mostly in English and all Yoruba words are translated, so everyone can enjoy the book fully.

Review:

As mentioned in the description, “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother” is a book about an African mother of Yuroba heritage spending time with her daughter, and even telling her daughter a traditional Yuroba story. “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother” is told through the eyes of the small baby daughter, who is relaying to the readers what she has learned from her mother. I’ve mentioned on my blog many times that I have a genetic disorder. I wasn’t diagnosed with the disorder until I was a teenager, but I always knew something was off. I was always small for my age. Due to my size, I was often bullied. The bullying made me feel low and unattractive, but when I would think those thoughts, I would always think of my mother’s words to me: “I have no ugly children”. Segilola’s book reminded me of own my mother and her words to me, and how much strength I get from them. “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother” beautifully shows how we are shaped by the words of our parents, as the daughter takes in every word her mother, Yetunde, says. Over all, I really enjoyed “Yetunde: An Ode to My Mother”. I believe it is a beautiful way to learn about Yuroba culture. I highly recommend the book

If you would like to read the book for yourself, it is available on Segilola Salami’s website https://www.segilolapublishing.com/product-category/ebooks/childrens-ebooks-fiction/

Sagilola can also be found on her blog, where she shares reviews of children’s books. Click here to pay Segilola a visit.

The Power of Love

Daily writing prompt

How important is spirituality in your life?

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I was born to Christian parents. As an adult, I’m still a Christian. Many people choose to stay in the religion they were born into for several reasons. My reason for remaining a Christian is the emphasis on “love” in Christianity. One of my favorite passages from the Bible states:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

This passage is a good example of what it means to be a Christian, and I try to live my life by it everyday.

Another passage from the Bible that puts an. Emphasis on love is “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love,”(1 Corinthians 13:13). This passage focuses on the power of love and is the reason for the many Christian founded organizations and hospitals like The Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The Catholic Church alone runs around 18,000 clinics, 16,000 homes for the elderly and those with special needs, and over 5,000 hospitals. Love is what drives people to helps others. Without love, there would be no faith in the goodness of humanity and there would be no hope for people suffering.

Love is powerful, and Christianity proves this to me everyday.

Why is Healthcare so Expensive: Part Two

Picture taken from Pixabay

I recently watched a video by a popular YouTuber named Lauren who runs the channel Living well with Schizophrenia. On her channel, she talks about her experience living with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder. In on particular video, Lauren talks about the cost of health care. She lives in Canada where the government is heavily involved in helping with healthcare, so she doesn’t pay a heavy amount for her medical care. However, she shared what she would be paying without help. I liked the idea, and thought I’d also give a little idea of how much my healthcare would cost me without help. You can see this video below:

As I’ve mentioned many times on my blog, I have medical condition called Turner Syndrome. I take several medications for the condition. I did a little digging, and without help, I could be spending a total of $83.00 a month for my medication.

Turner syndrome causes a lot of complications. The condition is when a woman is born with only one fully functioning X chromosome instead of the usual two. Due to this fact, the woman’s body can not create estrogen on its own. Estrogen helps to strengthen a woman’s bones. This is why some older women with low estrogen suffer from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a common problem in Turner syndrome patients. Other complications include heart, kidney, and thyroid problems, among others. Because of all of the complications, many procedures are regularly done in order to ensure the Turner Syndrome patient remains in good health. These priced urges can include an MRI, sonogram, blood tests, and a bone density scan, among others. All together, my procedures can cost around $1,500 every time they’re done.

I have also been pretty open on my blog about my struggles with mental illness. It is no secret that mental health services can be expensive. In my case, therapy sessions without help would cost me around $2,800 each week. That’s around 14,000 a month for therapy sessions! The medication I take for my mental illness can cost around $233.00 a month.

As you can see, healthcare is pretty expensive. I didn’t even include all of my doctor visits, including the my primary care provider and specialist visits. I also did not include transportation cost. I would definitely not be able to afford the medical care I get with the good insurance I have.

The Goodness of Humanity

In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart
Anne Frank

Picture taken from Pixabay

Recently, a family member told me about a woman who wrote a book on grief for her children after their father died. It was later discovered that she herself killed him. I also read in the news about a man who killed his wife after claiming to love her during his time as a contestant on the Family Feud game show.

It seems there is nothing but bad news, and nothing but hatred in people’s hearts. Sometimes, with all the horrendous things going on, I can’t help but think the worst of humanity. But then I remember the quote above from Anne Frank. She wrote those words even though war was raging around her, even though her people were being rounded up and senselessly murdered.

I also think about the kind people who have helped me throughout my life. As a person with special needs, there have been a lot of people. I think about organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army that have workers and volunteers who go all over the world spending their time helping others.

With this being said, I still believe that there are good people out there, even if sometimes they might seem very rare.