Is There a Month for Us?

Please know I don't mean to be selfish or to try to co-opt the pain those struggling with mental health and/or addiction face, and I celebrate mental health awareness month in May and national recovery month in September, but I also just wonder, is there a month for us?

Is there a month for those of us who love those who struggle? A month for those of us whose lives are turned upside down repeatedly? A month for those of us who live on hope, then it crashes, then we struggle to hope again?

Is there a month for those of us whose cars are wrecked? A month for those of us whose homes become places of carnage instead of havens? A month for those of us who clean up those messes and welcome our loved ones back?

Is there a month for those of us who don't sleep while we wait for the phone to ring? A month for those of us who leave work and social events to answer that phone call?

Is there a month for those of us who sacrifice time, energy, and dare I say it, yes money one more time, and then one more time, and then one more time?

Is there a month for those of us who have to choose between loving our person and being the source of endless gossip? Is there a month for us who are so lonely and afraid? Is there a month for us who want to climb into our beds, cover our heads and hide but instead have to keep on working, keep on living?

Is there a month for those of us whose family and friend relationships are damaged or at the very least changed due to no fault of our own? Or maybe it is our fault...

Maybe it's not fair to ask, but I do wonder, is there a month for us?