Aurora 2021 Mag

Eric Hubbard

into the cat lounge to be distracted by the cats as they try and work on their homework. Joi has had to start caring for a terminally ill family member, so she only pulls occasional shifts for us. Although I have casual conversations with Brynn, I have never asked her about anything personal. I did, however, ask Joi about Brynn. Joi said that she recognized from the first moment she saw her that Brynn was in a very dark place, but more importantly, Joi saw a window of opportunity to reach out and not “be a bystander.” In the process, she befriended Brynn and became a lifeline for her. Joi is close friends to both her and Tina to this day. Joi kept encouraging Brynn to at least go speak to her school counselor, and Brynn reluctantly did so, and was ultimately able to be directed to professional mental health resources she needed. Interestingly enough, I didn’t need to ponder very long to understand why Joi would be compelled to reach out. One would only need to look closely at those artistically beautiful tattoos on Joi’s forearms, or rather, at Joi’s skin underneath. The tattoos don’t mask, in so much as they blend together the scars from deeply carved wounds that are forever a part of Joi’s wrists, with thoughtful artwork that I believe symbolize the life that Joi has now, as a survivor. References Skegg (2005). Seminar: Self-harm. The Lancet , 366, 1471–1483. https://doi- org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67600-3 Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Shaw, S. L. (2017). Suicide risk assessment: What psychologists should know. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(2), 98–106. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu. edu/10.1037/pro0000106

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