Thoughtful Thursday: It’s OK to Not Be OK

This week has been heavy. Yesterday, our nation grieved the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus—taken while exercising one of our most basic rights, the freedom of speech. Regardless of your political persuasion, this is not and cannot be okay.

And then this morning, we awake to the 24th anniversary of 9/11. An act of terrorism that rocked our nation and left a scar that will never fully heal, but also a moment that reminded us of what it means to stand together. Like most Americans, I remember exactly where I was that day.

I was serving as the firm administrator at Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann in Greenville, SC. My father, who I spoke to daily, was supposed to be at the Pentagon for a meeting that morning. When the news of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center broke, I tried desperately to reach him. The phone lines were jammed, calls weren’t connecting, and it would be hours before I learned that his meeting had been canceled.

In the meantime, staff and attorneys were gathered in the boardroom watching the unthinkable unfold. I finally turned to the managing partner and said, “We need to close the office. Parents need to go get their kids and go home.” It was one of those moments where priorities became crystal clear.

September is a month marked by tragedy—but it is also Suicide Prevention Month. A reminder that it is okay to not be okay. We live in a world that often demands strength and resilience, but sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is admit that you’re struggling.

If you are hurting, tell someone. You matter to more people than you may ever realize. Give them the chance to be there for you. Reach out. Talk. Share.

It’s okay to not be okay.