Letter: Thank you to Pastor McCallum

Editor: I would like to applaud Pastor Scott McCallum for his very public statement of his need to take time to focus on his mental health ( Sawyer County Record, May 17, 2023) . Mental health needs have long been stigmatized. In my own Italian culture these needs were believed to being cursed by "il malocchio", the evil eye. Like Pastor McCallum we need the courage to face our mental health needs whether addictions, depression, anxiety etc. We need to deal with the needs we find on our journey not only to assist ourselves but also not to burden our loved ones, our community, as well as society.

I totally agree with Pastor's title, "We are all clay pots who can be broken. " But through counseling, rehabilitation and spiritual growth we can also be repaired. The Japanese have a practice called kintsugi. In this process broken pottery is repaired. The joints are painted and then decorated with gold or silver powder. Using this practice the broken pottery is actually enhanced and then returned to use.