Episode 20: Happy Birthday Unsinkable
Hi everyone, I hope you’re doing as well as you can be today. Our poem & episode this week is a special birthday edition for Unsinkable’s 5th anniversary!
I so hope you enjoy it.
Thank you so much to our podcast guests from season 1 for lending their voices and words to this poem. Please re-listen to their episodes!
Happy Birthday Unsinkable
Close those eyes—
it’s safe—and
my voice will guide us
through our story:
Where there’ve been
traditional mental health resources
and
innovative, psychosocial support models,
there didn’t used to be a bridge.
There still isn’t—
at least not one of steel,
concrete, stone, asphalt,
iron, timber, aluminum, or rope.
The type of bridge needed
wasn’t one to be constructed,
but one to be believed into being.
First, to be imagined
it had to be seen,
and one day, in 2019,
nearly a lifetime away, it seems
A champion of more than the Olympics
said,
“What if I begin building?”
Again, not with carbon fibre or wood,
—boats or oars—
but with the stories that soaked them
with salty sea, sweat, and tears.
Can you smell it?
Can you taste it?
Do you see yourself?
With all of us?
Where we’ve been vessels
and
where we’ve been voices?
You’re lying down atop
a blanket bridge of bodies,
flexing and rippling,
usually invisible.
And floating aloft these waves of time,
the weave has been crafted of
learning that
we need
meaning and
we need
to matter.
Commitment is
the life-fueling power. (Noah)
We can
turn pain into passion and purpose,
pushing forward
even though it’s hard.
We’re still learning to live
with clinical pain, (Angelica)
but believing, wholeheartedly,
that the outside never captures what shines within. (Hailey)
There is
comfort, resilience, love, growth, learning, and sadness (Rohit)
as we persevere
through the toughest of times (Jan) (even as
seemingly regular people who can struggle, too).
There is
peace, courage, pride, independence, support, and dreaming
when acceptance allows us to move forward (Kelli) and
piece our lives together many ways. (Arielle)
You see,
we’ve read the book
and we come out on top
of swelling water
and it’s not at all shocking
that extra, sundry weight would keep us
more surely afloat.
Because we’ve braided this
woven raft of 4.1 million people,
strong and vast, limbs linked,
lying on our backs
and having practiced our breathing in sync,
above the waves
we float, steer, expand always
and all ways.
250 storytellers,
40 community champions,
and 100 youth mentees
across Canada
stitch the nooks, corners, and crannies
like a net to gather
diverse personal stories,
50 mental health advocacy projects,
and 150 speaking opportunities
all
to help others discover
they are not alone
and recovery is possible.
So rest, now—hum our gentle song,
“Happy birthday, Unsinkable”
And when you feel ready, come along—
slip across the sea surface,
locking fingers in tune, because
together, there’s nothing that we can’t do.
—
Unsinkable is a mental health charity founded by Olympic champion and mental health advocate, Silken Laumann. All Unsinkable programs mentioned below are digital first and designed for accessibility. The approach complements traditional healthcare and public health resources and is validated by mental health experts.
Make Donations: Every donation, no matter the size, helps Unsinkable continue its impactful work. We encourage individuals, and organizations to partner with us in our journey and impact our community. Your generosity can directly support programs and initiatives that empower individuals facing mental health challenges as well as make a difference in creating a brighter future for all. Donate here.
Spread Awareness: Share Unsinkable's message with your friends, family, and social networks. By raising awareness about mental health issues and Unsinkable's efforts, you can help break down stigma and encourage others to seek support.
Get Involved: Whether it is volunteering your time, participating in fundraising events, or joining advocacy efforts, your involvement can create positive change. Together, we can build a more resilient and supportive community for everyone.
