Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. Find Help: www.twloha.com
(Source: therocketsavannah)
That’s right, folks. We’re heading back down under for Soundwave Festival!! We’ll have a booth set up at each venue. Stop by our tent, say hello to Chad and Jason from the team, then giggle at their funny American accents. TWLOHA info and merch available. Check out the TWLOHA calendar for more info.
A debate has been going on since the new interns arrived. What is an elephant ear? So, since we sometimes take polls in the TWLOHA office, we decided this would be best cleared up by a very serious/official poll. :)
What is an elephant ear? Photo 1 on the left or Photo 2 on the right.
Awesome Nerdfighter wearing a This Star Won’t Go Out (tswgo.org) bracelet with a TWLOHA Fears vs. Dreams bracelet. :) love the pairing. Love Nerdfighteria.
If you’re not familiar with Esther’s story and TSWGO, you should definitely check it out.
(Source: loveismovingyou)
At the end of our intro video, the crowd stood looking toward the stage, expecting the curtain to open to the first song of the night. Instead? An invitation from a very special poet in the balcony.
“For the ones who are forgotten, the ones the amendments do not stand up for… Shake the dust.” Now available in the TWLOHA online store.
“Joy”
Oceana
I believe with all of my heart that the Hallmark cards lie.
I believe that you can choose who you love, but you can never choose who loves you.
That’s beautiful and frustrating and unfair and overly gracious.
This summer, in a moment of honesty and through a thinly veiled smile, a friend asked, “What is giving you joy today?” It took me a second to answer. Not like a quick second, but more like a time-slows-down-like-in-the-movies-when-it’s-really-important-to-catch-the-details second. Like, “Chad, watch your step on this one. Collect your thoughts. Your friend needs you to share some real joy. He needs it. Don’t be cheap. Don’t say ‘love’ or ‘family.’ Prove something to him.”
His question was almost more like a challenge. And that challenge became more like a conversation within myself. I think I showed him a picture of my parents’ dog, which still may have been a cop out, but I was able to use that picture to launch a conversation, which I think is what he wanted all along …
My friend needed me to know that he was in pain, and I needed him to know that he couldn’t scare me away.
“And I see that I’m sure I won’t hide, I won’t hide …”
There was a certain joy from being able to care for my friend in that moment. I told him that I was proud of him for not shying away from the hard talks. He told me that he was thankful for an opportunity to be real.
Love is a conversation, and it’s not always one that is initially hopeful or joyful or inspiring. Sometimes it takes time and retrospect to see how love grows into those things. Sometimes it’s a conversation that takes place in our own heads, but is most productive when fleshed out with folks who love you without reason.
“So hold me higher, I caught you.
You caught me, and this I see.”
Love is a trust fall.
We are facing the same direction, and perhaps unaware that anyone else shares our point of view, but in our moments of resignation or vulnerability or abandon we can find a teammate, a cheerleader, who will still sees us as something to be proud of. Who can help us catch ourselves when we fall …
… and I guess that’s the thing Hallmark misses sometimes about true friendship rooted in love — the catching works both ways.
—Chad
TWLOHA Staff
Jael Johnson, a 15-year-old singer and songwriter from Kalispell, Montana, recently shared the music video for her song “Unconditional” with us. Jael wrote “Unconditional” for a friend who was struggling with many of the issues that TWLOHA addresses. She says, “When I wrote this song for a friend, I also was thinking to myself, ‘If only someone had cared enough for me to say these words when I was in that place.’” We are thankful for Jael’s support and the message of love and healing that she shares through her music.
If you would like to learn more about Jael and her music, you can visit her website, jaeljohnsonmusic.com
