On March 27th of this year, the iPhilip 30 made an appearance. This particular iPhilip was to be the greatest yet. But, as is often the case, life got in the way. Here is iPhilip's story in his own words:
"My 30th year of life began with the loss of my emotional support kitty, Zoe. She was just 11-years old. I decided that I didn't want to wait to adopt another cat. So I eventually adopted a beautiful tortoise hair cat that I named Zadie. She hated me for a long time, which, obviously, didn't provide me with the emotional support I needed. Months later, she is my little shadow and loves to be petted.
"Back in April, while I was in the process of adopting Zadie, a difficult decision arose (unrelated to Zadie's adoption). I could make it easy by continuing to do what I was already doing; but in so doing, I would be causing myself more and more anxiety. Or, I could make the more difficult, but correct choice, which is what I did. I made the more difficult choice, knowing that my life would be miserable for awhile. I knew people would hate me for the choice I made. I knew my life would temporarily become a living hell. But I made the choice anyways. What I didn't know was that my social media and blog would be stalked. I didn't expect failed attempts to have me taken down at every turn. I began regretting the choice I made, even though I knew it was the right one.
"I began seeing a therapist. She has been wonderful for me and has helped me through a lot. But I still have a long way to go. Even nearly half a year later, I am struggling with the decision I made. If given the chance to do it over again, I would still make the same choice, even though I question it almost every day. Doing the right thing isn't always easy.
"Just last week, I was in a dark place, a darker place than I had ever been in before. I slowly got out of it using the techniques my therapist gave me. I'm still not at 100%. It may be a while until I'm there again. But I'm trying."
When asked to describe himself, iPhilip 30 said that he is "big-hearted, but broken." He remains hopeful and is continuing to look for ways to improve himself. He is doing a lot of self-care activities and putting down boundaries. We at iPhilip are certain that things will only get better.
