The Darkest Season of My Life Became the Work I Was Meant to Do

Why I Still Share My Story

I still have dark days. I think most people do. What changed for me was what those days pushed me toward. They pushed me toward helping teens and parents so no one feels alone in the way my family once did.

I wrote my first mental health article in 2012. I was nervous to share it. Talking about depression as a man felt risky at the time. That post reached tens of thousands of people. It taught me that honesty connects people in a way nothing else does.

Life brought more pain after that. Losing Maddie changed my path. It taught me skills I never wanted to learn. Parenting a grieving family taught me even more. Those lessons shaped The MentorWell, and why it’s lead to programs like LifeLine Parenting Workshops and the Expedited Referral Network. They came from real life experiences.

Accepting the Person I Am Today

The way I have grown the most became clear only about six months ago. For years, I tried to get back to the person I was before losing Maddie in 2015. I kept pushing myself to return to that version of me.

Then something shifted. I was not meant to go back. I was meant to accept the person I have become. I do miss parts of my old self. The competitiveness. The speed. The ability to make tough decisions without hesitation. I would still trade all of that for the version of Chris I am today. A kinder and more emotionally aware man.

When I stopped resisting the change, I realized Maddie was still with me. It felt like she handed me the best parts of her. Her kindness. Her compassion. Those qualities live in me now. I feel her presence every day.

Lessons That Guide The MentorWell

I have learned that progress comes from looking back at where you started. When I measure backwards, I see growth through the hard days. I see how Maddie’s story has helped families talk about feelings that stay hidden. I still wish she were here. I always will. But her impact guides every part of this work.

The tools I relied on years ago still help today.
Gratitude. Healthy habits. Small simple steps. Time to pause.
Some days, getting through the day is enough. That is real life for many parents and teens. We do not need perfection. We need support.

If I could speak to my younger self, I would say this. It is okay to ask for help. It is okay to feel angry or lost. Feel it, then take the next small step forward. Those steps add up. They always do.

The MentorWell exist because of all these lessons. They exist so parents have a place to learn skills they were never taught. They exist so teens have someone who sees them and listens without judgment.

A Simple Reminder for Anyone Struggling

If you are struggling, take one day at a time. Reach out. You are not meant to do this alone. Your story may help someone else find their way forward.

See my original 2012 blog post HERE