BECOMING SANDSTONE
I think about arches and spires. Sandstone so soft it yields to the sun. The wind and rain shape it, forge it, hollow it out, yet it becomes more beautiful.
So often as I have navigated the broken mental health system for my child, I have had to be granite instead. Strong, solid, a spine of steel, and a heart of fire. But the wind and the rain still erode the Rockies.
Still, my child is in the desert, and formations of rock wait for me. They whisper. They sing. They promise to reunite, to hold, to withstand and not crumble.
Sometimes arches do fall to the ground. Boulders tumble. Rock gives way and collapses.
All is not lost. We sit on the rock slab and have lunch. Together.
Michelle is an award winning photographer based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. She believes incredible portraits can help people of all ages experience confidence and self-love.
Over the last two years, Michelle has also become an advocate for an amazing teenager struggling to find a way through a mental health system that refuses to see strengths and properly coordinate care so needs can be met.
Michelle is now advocating across the country as her teenager grows into a new path forward at a placement in Salt Lake City. Utah will always hold a place in Michelle’s heart.
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