To the girl who planned on taking her life,

First of all, I'm glad you're still here. I don't know what I would do if I lost you.

Second, I'm thankful you trusted me enough to let me in on your plans. Thank you for telling me the date you planned on ending it all and showing me a bit of the pain you feel inside so that I could get you the help you need.

They teach us in school when we're young that if someone is planning on hurting themselves, you need to tell an adult, even if your friend will get mad. Even if they'll feel like you broke their trust.

Well, I was fully prepared for that when I told an adult about you. I was ready for you to yell at me, unfriend me and want nothing more to do with me ever again.

But that wasn't the reaction you gave me, and I am both shocked and extremely thankful. Instead of getting mad, you said thank you. Do you remember that?

You thanked me; even though that meant therapy, hospitalization and me "breaking your trust." I think about that sometimes, and I feel like you wanted me to tell someone, deep down.

Maybe you didn't know how to bring it up to your parents or what words to say, so you wanted me to tell someone for you.

Now it's my turn to thank you.

Thank you for not getting mad. Thank you for trusting me all the time with your deepest of secrets, especially the one that resulted in your life ending. Thank you for making my days brighter when they're cloudy, even though there's an entire hurricane going on inside of you.

You are such a ray of sunshine. God has an enormous plan for your life; I'm sure of it. I know you don't always see it, but I hope one day you will realize it in its entirety. I can't wait to see what He does through you.

Please, always remember that the battle has already been won. Satan loses. Jesus died for you, because He loves you. You never have to go through this alone.

I am here, your family is here, Jesus is here. And we all love you so, so much. You will never understand how much you have impacted my life and I pray we are still friends 25 years down the road.

I am always only a phone call or a text away.

I love you dearly. Thank you for showing me strength every single day and for making me laugh by all of your ridiculous dancing. You truly are a blessing to this world. Life would be so boring without you and without your mermaid addiction and love of cats.

I can never tell you how happy I am that you're still here.

Love,
A friend who is always here for you.