InvaderNAV

If you haven’t read the May Bird series by Jodi Lynn Anderson, something is missing from your life.

When I first came across the first book in the May Bird series, May Bird and the Ever After, I was intrigued by its cover. It depicts a girl walking through a foreboding looking forest with a cat, with what looks like horrendous creatures behind her. There are several renditions of the cover, but this is the one I saw, and it was this cover that got me originally interested in reading it, as well as the description on the back.

It detailed of a little girl named May Bird who, shortly after discovering the terrifying talent of being able to see ghosts, is pulled into the land of the dead when she’s falls into a pond. This land of the dead is known as The Ever After, and she, along with her ghost friends, have to find a way to get her home to her mother because the living are not welcome there. To make things worse, the Bogey Man has taken over and is hell bent on finding May Bird.

To my young self, this seemed like a fantasy adventure I would love to read about. And I did. And it became my favorite book of all time, and still is. I remember connecting so much with the main character because, like her, I was odd, weird, a bit of an outcast, I liked unusual things, I liked being alone. Hell, I even liked the woods like her. But there was more to her than that, and to this story.

The writing is superb, it’s perfectly detailed. The characters are amazing, they’re all unique and have their own personalities. The tension is real, your heart pounds during all the right moments. The humor is uplifting, this book made me laugh out loud. And honest to god, I teared up at a few parts, especially when it came to Pumpkin, May’s guardian ghost.

The second book, May Bird Among the Stars, continues the story of the first one, using elements of friendship, love, determination and believing in yourself as its guide, and it did it wonderfully. This book illustrates the importance of believing that you do have talents and skills, that you DO matter, regardless of hat the world says. That your choices can affect others and that you should never didn’t yourself, even if the whole world seems against you. Hell, it even depicts the grief and guilt we all feel when we fail to do something that was expected of us in a very real way.

The third book, May Bird Warrior Princess was the perfect conclusion to this series. It throws so many unexpected things at the reader, surprising us, horrifying us, ripping our hearts out and making us choke up. I won’t give away any spoilers, but something happens in it that literally forced me to put the book down because I could not read the words on the page because my eyes were so watery. And days after, and even now, thinking it over still brings emotion to my heart. When a book can do that to you- makes a story and characters you care so much about, love so much and want the best for- that you have literally emotions for them, you know it’s done something very, very right.

The world of the Ever After. is strange, intimidating, yet exciting and enticing all at once. You really put yourself in May’s shoes and experience all the joy, fear, horror and heart break that she feels, and it’s majorly effective.

This series isn’t popular enough, and that’s a damn shame. These books were my childhood, and now that I’m an adult, I still reread them all the time. If you haven’t already, please, I implore you, go find this book. Check your local library, book store or even online. I trust you won’t be disappointed.

If someone who's been prone to symptoms of social anxiety or panic attacks tells you that they don't want to go to some social event because they think they'll be uncomfortable, then:
     •Don't make them go.

     •Don't make them go.

    •Don't make them go.

     DON'T MAKE THEM GO.

And especially, if you do force them into that situation, which you were made fully aware would make them uncomfortable, don't proceed to say things like:

     •"Stop acting like a little bitch."

     •"Straighten up or I'm leaving you here."

     •"Get over yourself and your attitude."

     •"Everyone else is enjoying themselves, why can't you just do the same?"

     •"You're an embarrassment."

     •"Stop acting like this, you're enbaracing me."

     •"Do you want to walk home?"

DO:
     •Respect their wishes to not go and don't force them into a situation they warned you they would be made uncomfortable by.

     •Believe them when they tell you that this won't be fun for them.

     •Listen to them if they tell you they want to go.

      •Comfort them and calm them down best you can if they start to exhibit signs of a panic attack.

      •Get them out of that situation as fast as you can if they start to break down.

DON'T:

     •Patronize them for isolating themselves or perhaps acting 'antisocial'. Branching from this, don't refuse them the right to stay close to you.

     •Threaten to leave them at the event/area or force them to find their own way home from it.

     •Call them names for their behavior or insult them based on the behavior.

     •Make them feel like they're in the wrong for the way they are feeling and acting.


Circumstances like this can trigger panic attacks, which include:

•intense fear

•hyperventilation

•extreme emotion

•trouble breathing

If someone tells you they have social anxiety, or are prone to panic attacks, LISTEN TO THEM. Don't call them a liar or accuse them of just wanting attention, don't ignore them.

Social anxiety is a serious condition that should be treated with respect and approached with compassion and caring, not neglect and disbelief.