Solomon Perkins

Wow, another year has passed. So much happened, yet I’m so grateful to be alive. Last year was filled with many ups and downs. As the Bible says that there is a time and place for everything, a time to cry and a time to be joyful (Ecclesiastes 3:4). Life is bitter-sweet and it so happened that I got a taste of both of these medicines in the same year.

The Challenges
Last year started on a rough patch.

• First, my friend/mentee passed away and it put me in a tailspin. Having witnessed his achievements, I knew there was more to come. Knowing his potential, I was heartbroken by his passing. He was a goal-oriented person who took on the challenges of life. The young man left the rural town, went to sell juice in Kingston market, then on to wiping car glasses. Once he gathered enough funds, he began to apply his trade in one of the islands. The young man was about to purchase his house, but then the unexpected happened. RIP Jason.

• It was as if that wasn’t enough pain for one year, the pandemic came and put a pause on all global affairs. With no “globally accepted cure”, nations implemented various measures. One such was a stay-at-home order. Done in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading. Despite these measures, it has been reported that there are over 98million confirmed cases and 2million deaths. Despite my robust lifestyle, #COVID caught me totally unprepared. First, I noticed a major decline in my productivity. Then my mental state followed down the same path. This was the first time I’ve ever experienced depression. Having a newborn (suffering from eczema) and my wife going through postpartum depression added more fuel to the fire. And yes there is more…

• One of my friends lost his unborn child. To make matters worst, he was a very close friend to Jason; they were like brothers. He was the one who took care of Jason’s funeral expenses. The Bible, Proverb 17:17 says “that a brother is born for adversities” - and they were brothers. That was a double blow for us. I was personally looking forward to some good news and we hoped that the child would have been it. I even hand my baby gift all planned out. And yes, there is more…

• Another close friend - brother from another mother - experienced a major decline in his physical health, which ultimately impacted his mental health. He ended up in the ER and was diagnosed with a major spike in his blood sugar level. Even his self-esteem took a major hit. And yes, there is more…

• My father’s health was the next domino to hit the pavement. As his health deteriorated, I felt helpless as the first COVID spike was underway. I began to worry about the risks of him contracting the virus during his Hospital visits.

Friends, I hit rock-bottom for the first time in my life and it wasn’t pretty. Having spent years trying to avoid this mental disease (depression), it came knocking on my door multiple times - all in the same year. I became extremely vulnerable and mentally fragile to the extent where I began to question my purpose and achievements. In an attempt to cope, I logged off social media for a few months.

Tweeps. Brb.

— Solomon Perkins (@DAlexForce) September 2, 2020

But then God intervened and things began to change. Sheew FINALLY!!!

The Blessings
All was not lost. 2020 became a year I triumphed and despite the challenges, some amazing thing happened. For each of the challenges I previously mentioned, here is the good news for each:

• First, I got the strength to celebrate my mentee’s achievements. I began to reflect on his achievements despite the odds. I began to reflect on the conversations we had about mind, money, purpose, and goals. It brings me more joy when I remember that he also gave his life to the Lord.

Develop an attitude of gratitude is key to weather any storm.

• #Covid caught me off guard. But, I’m so grateful to God that I was able to maintain my full-time employment through the pandemic. My mental health was also fully restored. Thanks to the support and guidance from God, my wife, Gavin, and my nutritionist (Jimmy). Hitting rock-bottom isn’t fun, but having an amazing support system is empowering. I shall share this journey in a future post, but for now, I want to say THANK YOU ALL!! #High5 🙌🙏🤝

• Losing an unborn child is an unimaginable pain that my friend went through. But despite this happening, he still was there for his spouse. He is a young man who has been through a lot, yet still, he continued to give his best - even when his cup is almost empty. I shall document his journey someday to highlight his strength and determination.

• My other friend was admitted to the ER made a major U-Turn with his life. Now he is living a healthier life. As the months went by, so was his recovery - both mental and physical health. His physician told him in the last week of December that his liver was not affected by his temporary illness. He is a changed man now.

A message to you my reader: please monitor & reduce the amount of sugar and salt in your diet.

• Dad’s health was also restored, for which I’m extremely grateful to GOD! While his medications seemed to “work-ish”, most of his results came from his natural remedies. Beetroot, ginger, and carrot blend was the secret sauce. It took just a few weeks for him to be back to normal.

The healing wonders of herbs.

• As for me, I became a better parent. Having read the book, The Montessori Toddler, I began to change my perspective and parenting style. The book was empowering, but I was ruling like a semi-dictator: [allowing my son to do only approved activities];(https://medium.com/@daddyblog/new-parents-dont-panic-just-baby-proof-the-home-f3e147084cc4). It all changed when I heard a sermon about the fact that…

God gave us choices as individuals.

But I wasn’t passing on that freedom to my one-year-old. Having felt the guilt, I committed to change my parenting style. Throughout all this stubbornness my wife was patient with me. I pause to thank her for not only being an amazing wife, but also an amazing mother and teach to both me and my son. The strength of a virtuous woman!

From a mental standpoint, last year was the most challenging year for us. Through it all, I now have a deeper understanding of how important your mental state is. Above all things, we need God to weather the storms of life.