Emmarie’s Perseverance Series

“EMMARIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”, shouted her Mother.

“I I I… don’t you knock?”, said Emmarie.

“Knock? What are these cuts and burns? Give me that lighter. What do you cut with?”

“Mom, I……………”

“What do you cut with Emmarie? Answer me!”, said her Mother again as the tears started to swell in her eyes.

“A razor. I break it out of the razor I shave with Momma. I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.”

“Oh Emma. Why? Why would you do this?”, said her Mother now hysterical.

“I don’t know.”, said Emmarie in almost a whisper while fidgeting with a thread on her jeans.

“Yes you do. You can tell me.”, said her Mother as she sat beside her on the bed stroking her hair so lightly.

“You wouldn’t understand.”, said Emmarie turning away to hide her own tears falling down her cheeks.

“Help me understand baby. What’s going on.”

“I’ve just been through a lot, ok. Things you don’t even know about. Maybe I should talk to a therapist or something. I’m not comfortable telling you everything. Nothing personal. I just can’t.” Emmarie said nervously.

“I’ll schedule a counseling appointment with our preacher. He can help!”, said Emmarie’s Mother ecstaticly.

“No, Mom! I want to talk to a REAL therapist. Plus, he’s a man. I want a girl, like me. Mom,  PLEASE!”

“Absolutely not Emma. Those people will just put you on medication and turn you into a zombie. And try to fix you in worldly ways. I won’t have that. God will get this demon out of you and you’ll be good as new! You’ll see!”, Emmarie’s Mother said confidently and full of glee.

Emmarie left the conversation feeling worse than before. She knew her Mother meant well but she also knew this plan would fail. A preacher just isn’t qualified to treat mental health disturbances. Even if they feel God can give them the tools to do so. Did the church ever think maybe God gave these qualified providers the ability and knowledge to tend to the needs of the psychologically ill because it required specialized skills just as a physical condition would? No would tell you to pray cancer or diabetes away to the point of stopping your prescription medicine or medical interventions to rely on that method alone, right? Why is this any different? And that aside, there’s just some things a lady wants to talk to, well, another lady about, you know?