As you may or may not know, it's Mental Health Awareness Week. As someone who is affected by mental illness both directly and indirectly, I figured I'd take the time to write to everyone who may be struggling with any sort of mental illness or disorder that complicates their everyday life.

Dear Beautiful Person,

I want you to know first a foremost that you are valuable and that you are important. I want you to know for certain that you matter, that you are loved–even if you are not known to me, I love you. I also want you to know that your life is significant to me and to people around you–even if you don't see it or even if you don't understand why. I need you to know that you are not alone. There are people all over the world who suffer from the same problems, even if all of our struggles are unique to us, there are so many people who can relate. I relate to you. I relate to the struggle in my own personal way.

I hope you don't mind me saying, but I pray for you. I pray for everyone who fights everyday. I pray that you will soon see the same strength in yourself that I see in you because anyone who fights with themselves every single day... is a hero. You are a warrior. You are brave. You are strong. You are a fighter. Please keep on fighting even when your darkest days seem hopeless and your loneliest days make you cry; there is a reason for everything and there is a reason you are alive. You are a precious being. I pray you'll come to that realization. I pray you will get better, that you'll find someone that helps the bearing of this cross a little easier, that you will believe in the light of day.

I'd like to ask you to keep in mind that you never know what ails your neighbors. You never know who is fighting the same or a worse fight. With that in mind, I repeat that you are not alone. It's such an important thing to remember because it will get you through. The comfort of not just being a single drop in a sea of open water, but an individual drop that contributes to life itself even in the smallest way is still important.

I'm proud of you. I'm proud that you woke up today, that you went online, that you read my article, that you took another breath. I'm proud that you made it this far. I have faith that you will go further and that you will find peace one day. Everyone is a fighter in one way or another. Here's a big shoutout to my fighters! I'm a fighter too.

Love and joy,

Mary <3