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Finding Freedom

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  Today is Mental Health day and many people are sharing and posting to create awareness. Some of you might wonder why do we need to create awareness? For me it is very simple... if not treated it can cause death and you, yes you, who is reading this can be the beginning of the cure. Contrary to many physical health issues where we need medical doctors with years of studies, this is one condition that you, me, any of us can start the healing process by just saying: I hear you, tell me more, I love you, I’m here for you, I see you, I’ll stop by, let’s get coffee or tea, I believe you. You can be that one person that makes a difference and what a difference that is. Many of us tend to think we do not know anybody with this illness because there’s an extreme belief that you’re either found in a mental health institution or a dysfunction in our society and that’s not true. Before it gets to that point, long before, we are walking all around you. Yes, I said we, and more specifically me...
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Caro's Story

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Normally my stories always start with, when I was born… I believe there’s not enough context if I don’t start from the beginning, right? Context is important to me, others might prefer that I cut to the chase, but how about the transformation? the journey? don’t you need a before and an after to compare? Well, this time I’m not starting with “when I was born”, you’re lucky, but it does start with: “over 2 years ago in November 2016, I went to Israel on a business trip and spent an afternoon in Jerusalem”. I couldn’t describe, even months after, that afternoon. What did it mean. I had gone to Jerusalem for the food, the market, the historical sites, the  best company ever and I confess, the selfie too. When I tried to tell the story I would start tearing up, couldn’t speak, I was feeling so much. My friend Asaf asked me back then, so what… you’re going to become all religious now? And I said nah… no way! If you don’t know what I’m talking about you can just  click back ...
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I "Heart" Israel

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On my way to the airport getting ready to leave Israel somebody asked me where was I from. This is a question I always struggle answering, so I gave my normal speech: Born in Venezuela, raised in Scotland, lived in Spain, Mexico and the US and consider France like a second home… I tend to not commit to a country or strongly state I’m from “X” because in reality I don’t feel I completely belong to any one place. I always think that I’m the “Work In Progress” of my past, the sum of my yesterdays determine who I am today. Every place that I’ve been and lived influences who I am. I just spent 4 days in Israel and nope, I won’t say now that I'm also from Israel although… per my friend Asaf, next time I’ll go he’ll send me to live with his Rabi friend in Jerusalem for two years (he did clarify I don’t need to “ live ” with the Rabi). I can study with him and do the necessary work to convert and become a Jew in Israel and therefore an Israeli by law. " They" will then...
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Mamama

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I remember the first time I heard "We need to go and see Mamama because she might not make it to the end of the year". The year was 1978. In Venezuela there's always this feeling that Dec 31st is going to be the end of world. Yes, I know you think we are crazy... and maybe we are, but on Dec 31st you have to be with family until at least 12:01 am on January 1st. We hug, we drink and we cry... don't ask me why we cry, but many of us cry. It can be that you let go of the year that passed and start clean the New Year. For me it was more like, OK... Mamama lived one more year, that meant that we had a couple of months to take a break before we started again with... "you need to be with your Grandma because this might be the last time that you go to a movie together, celebrate a birthday, go to a nursery, visit a garden". Basically every moment we had with her was always special. That went on for 37 years, last night after a week of downs her body shut of...
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