It’s okay to not be okay.
Behind every smile, every “I’m fine,” every quiet kid in the back of the room, there is a person. And sometimes that person is struggling in ways nobody can see.
In February of 2025, Lisette and I celebrated our 20-year wedding anniversary. On July 11, 2025, I lost her to suicide.
I was devastated. I still am. And one of the hardest parts is that I didn’t know how much she was hurting. She didn’t say. People often don’t.
That’s not weakness. That’s what happens when the world tells you to be strong, to push through, to keep going. We learn to wear the mask so well that even the people closest to us can’t see behind it.
I built It’s God, Yo™ because I believe every teen deserves to hear something true and steady in their day, and I want this to be a place where struggling is never something to hide. Whether you’re the parent setting this up or the teen receiving it, that’s true for you too.
Think about what being a teenager actually looks like right now. School. Friendships that shift overnight. Social media that never turns off. Family expectations. Trying to figure out who you are while everyone’s watching. And often, right underneath it: not enough sleep, not enough space to just be.
There is almost no room to say “I’m not okay.”
The culture around growing up rewards looking fine. It rewards keeping it together. So teens learn to carry whatever they’re carrying alone, and sometimes the weight becomes impossible. The same is often true for the parents raising them.
You never know what someone is going through. The kid who seems fine. The one who always has a joke ready. The quiet one who hasn’t said much lately. The person you haven’t checked in on in a while.
“Are you really okay?”
Ask the question. Accept the answer.
Asking for help is not weakness. It is one of the hardest, most courageous things a person can do, and it is always worth doing. There is no shame in struggling. There is no shame in needing support. There is only shame in a world that made you feel like you had to hide it.
If you are struggling, or someone you know is, please reach out. These resources are free, confidential, and available right now.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 from anywhere in the US. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free and confidential.
988lifeline.org →Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Available 24/7.
crisistextline.org →American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Education, research, and support for those affected by suicide. Resources for survivors, families, and those who want to help.
afsp.org →Outside the US
Crisis support is available in most countries. Find your local helpline through the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
iasp.info →If you’re not ready to call a hotline, that’s okay too. Talk to someone you trust, a parent, a friend, a pastor, a counselor, anyone who’s actually in your corner. You don’t have to carry this alone, and you don’t have to figure out who to tell all by yourself either.
The world is not better without you. We need you to stay with us.