Timing is everything. It wasn’t until her senior year in college, as she was wrapping up her studies as a theater major with an emphasis in opera, that Meredith Hopping found her voice. But it had nothing to do with being a soprano, alto or any range in between. And at first, it wasn’t a solo discovery. One of Meredith’s professors had taken note of how funny she was and mentioned it to her. A few years later, when Meredith turned 30 and made a list of 30 things to do, she decided to put the observation to the test. It was perfect timing.

At the end of June 2017, nearly eight months after the 2016 election and five months after her youngest child was born, Meredith – who experienced postpartum depression and anxiety after giving birth to all three of her children – stood at a new threshold: continue to go inward into a rabbit hole of depression, or stand up and do something tangible. Using her faith as her guide, Meredith chose to stand, at of all things, an open-mic comedy night. She nailed it, and her voice has been harmonious ever since. In this episode of Mental Health Matters, Director Tom Duff, MSW, LCSW and Meredith talk about how admitting her postpartum struggles as a granddaughter, daughter and ex-wife of pastors and sharing her humor on stage have helped her discover her voice and a renewed sense of self that can be, at times, a laughing matter.