Dear Depression and Anxiety,

You have hurt me. You haven't necessarily hurt me in the way you might think though. Directly you have only left scratches, but indirectly you have hit me upside the head with a baseball bat. You are a bully who torments the people I love into believing lies such as the fallacy that no one truly cares about them.

Even though we have just recently gotten to know you a little better, you have always been around. For years you helped people believe terrible things, think terrible things, and do terrible things. You have taken countless amounts of self confidence, shining smiles, aspirations, laughter, and ultimately life from people. Congratulations, I hope your proud of yourself. Meanwhile, tonight a mother won't get to say goodnight to their baby because of you. Experiences will never be had because of you. Breathe will cease to enter and exit lungs of many and God will hold the hand of another beautiful soul that you told the final lie to. No one cares. This is the only way to shut me up. Life's not worth it. What lie did you tell last? Did you say it with a smile?

I learn more and more about you every day. It seems that the number of people you lie to grows and grows rapidly. With every fiber of my being and everything I stand for I am prepared to tell the truth. The truth that yes, these people do deserve love and belonging. The truth that yes, life is in fact worth living. The truth that yes, there is another way. I haven't been keeping score for as long as you have but I'm starting now. One more smile is worth it. One more goodnight from a mother to her baby is worth it. One more soul living out their purpose on the Earth created for us is worth it.

One thing that you may not know about me is that I am a natural fixer. I have a need or drive to fix a problem when I see it. You, my friend, are a problem. Sadly I can say with confidence that you are a problem that will outlive me. If all I do in my lifetime is make more laughs, smiles, and give support to those in a fight with you, I will consider my job as a fixer complete. I have learned that in hell of a street fight you put up, there is very little room for mercy. This most likely falls into the list of the words that are excluded from your selective vocabulary. Well, I have news for you. Just as you can select your words, these people can select their friends. Anyone who is my friend has me on their side in the fight and boy do I have a special tire iron saved for you.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Obenchain