As I child, every year I noticed that there was always one present that remained under our Christmas tree for several days after Christmas. It was a small gift with a tag on it that said “For Luella”. My mother told me that Luella was a woman who was in “a mental hospital.”
Back then, the only other person I knew who had ever been in a “mental hospital” was the mother of a friend. I never heard anything else about Luella or my friend’s mother, why they were there, or what such a place was like.
Today there is much more discussion about mental health. The phone number “211” offers resources and support for mental health issues. The National Alliance for Mental Illness, or “NAMI” was started in the late 70s by two mothers, who each had a son with schizophrenia. NAMI offers free online and in-person support groups, information, and practical advice for critical times such as the hospitalization and return home of a loved one with a mental health condition.
I hope that Luella was comforted by my mother’s gesture of kindness at Christmas time each year. And I hope that I can show that same kindness toward persons I meet along the way who need love and understanding in difficult times. Not just at Christmas, but all year long.
