The season finale of "Being Mary Jane" just happened, and like any major fanatic, I felt it was one of the most heartbreaking days of my life. Although the season finale left a huge shocker, I won’t discuss this episode partly because I have a few friends that will yell at me for spoiling it and I believe there’s another episode that needs to be discussed. So let’s talk about season 3 episode 3. Spoiler Alert, Mary Jane attended a funeral. Spoiler Alert, it was Lisa’s, Mary Jane’s best friend and she committed suicide. However, as much as this is about Lisa, and our loss of a character we loved to hate, it’s just as much about Mary Jane’s eulogy. As usual, Mary Jane Paul shocked her audience when she revealed that Lisa’s stepfather sexually abused her during her younger years. This was an unaddressed pain Lisa carried until death. This confession led into a series of regrets from Mary Jane Paul in how she handled her friendship with Lisa. Her biggest? Asking Lisa how she was and not really caring, and letting Lisa simply answer knowing that she wasn’t speaking her truth.
The theme of this message is one of truth. How we are scared to tell ours, and just as scared to hear others. When did it ever become okay for “I’m fine” to become an automated response? When did it become okay to utter the phrase “How Are You?” without ever having the intention of sticking around to hear the reality? Like Mary Jane Paul said, “It’s not even like it’s enough for us to just lie. We really expect everyone else to lie too. It’s like we’re all afraid that the whole world’s going to come falling down if we’re honest with one another all of the time.” It’s important to learn how to recognize your emotions. Be able to distinguish them and learn when to speak up when things get a bit too much. With speaking up however, other must learn to listen. “The lies we tell each other, that’s what killed my friend Lisa.” Mary Jane is right. Maybe it’s not our friend’s outwardly committing the act suicide but pain is pain regardless.
Being College students, it’s very easy to get lost in the fast pace life. It’s hard being surrounded by so many people and feeling like there’s no one you can go to. Stop letting your friends suffer alone, stop giving silent treatments to reality. It’s a proven statistic, that around this time of year, suicide rates increase, depression hits heavy and anxiety levels skyrocket. So when you ask others how they are this holiday season, make them give you more than a simple “I’m fine.” Make sure you are listening. Things aren’t always as “merry” and “happy” as they seem. Check on your friends.
“Just make sure that you tell everyone that you love that you will love them no matter how ugly their truth is.”
- Mary Jane Paul
