by Monica A. Coleman | Feb 18, 2014 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
Depression is lying. Not all the time, but … well … a lot of the time. Because most people don’t want to hear more than “Fine,” when they ask: “How are you?” I lied throughout my pregnancy. The questions were generally the same: How are you? Aren’t you excited? ...
by Monica A. Coleman | Feb 10, 2014 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
Even I ask myself: How can someone who lives with depression like such a depressing time of the church year? Lent is my favorite liturgical season. I’m not exactly sure why. I did and did not grow up understanding that many Christian churches follow something called...
by Monica A. Coleman | Nov 17, 2013 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
I like memoirs. In fact, when I have the time, I read them voraciously. Because I need them. I need to know someone else’s story to better know my own. I need to know that someone else, somewhere, has experienced some part of what I am living. Has experienced it...
by Monica A. Coleman | Oct 13, 2013 | Media
This past week, I had the privilege of talking with my friend and colleague April Yvonne Garrett on her radio show, The AYG List. We had planned to talk about how mental health challenges are showing up in the news headlines and some of my thoughts about advocacy and...
by Monica A. Coleman | Oct 8, 2013 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
10 ways you can pray for mental illness Today is the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding. People often ask me how they can pray for people who live with mental health challenges. I like prayer. I pray. I’m a minister who often...
by Monica A. Coleman | Aug 20, 2013 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
For me and many other African Americans, this summer has been dominated by the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for the shooting of 17-year-old African-American Trayvon Martin. Shortly after the verdict was rendered, media outlets announced that one...
by Monica A. Coleman | Aug 1, 2013 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog, Uncategorized
My daughter has been crawling for three months. Our outings to the six a.m. worship service with our faith community have changed. We used to hold her in our arms, gently rocking or nursing her to sleep during the spoken message. Now, we find space on the carpet...
by Monica A. Coleman | Jul 31, 2013 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
I was instantly nauseous. My stomach turned in knots and I doubled over. I collapsed into my seat and held to the edges. I became sick. Literally. This was my response to hearing the news of the verdict in the trial against George Zimmerman for the...
by Monica A. Coleman | Jun 25, 2013 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
There are three generations living in my home: my mother, my partner and I, and our teenager and our infant. Conversations over dinner often reveal how much has changed over time. And what has not. One evening, my mother tells my teenager that she is becoming more...
by Monica A. Coleman | Mar 19, 2013 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
Communal prayer is a tactile experience for me. In my denominational tradition, African Methodism, we come to a wooden altar at the front of the church, kneel, and pray. In my favorite worship experiences, the “Altar Prayer” portion of the Sunday liturgy takes twenty...
