It's okay to be depressed. Life isn’t always going to be happiness, or else you aren’t truly feeling and living in every moment. Sometimes, things just going to suck, and there’s nothing you can do to make it better. No amount of empathy, distraction, or time will make it better. It’s not supposed to get better, unless you are part of a Disney fairy tale.

In some twisted way, the terrible moments in our lives are what make the great ones seem even better. If our life was full of greatness at some point, I don't think we could continue to define it as greatness or feel the full effect of the greatness without experiencing some not-so-great times.

Life is full of depressing moments, so don’t try to pretend it’s not. Be depressed-- I’m not going to tell you to cheer up, give it time, or sympathize with you. I'm going to tell you that things are not awesome but that doesn’t mean that you’re not awesome. One of the most frustrating things is not understanding why things are terrible, why things are the way they are.

And people tell you to be grateful, that everything happens for a reason. But maybe things don't happen for a reason. All I know is that terrible things happen to everyone. That everyone has to go through terrible things in their life and nothing can make them feel better. It just helps knowing that you're not alone.

I can’t change the past or else I would, but I can hope to change your future. I can hope that in the future, you can look sadness in the face and express it fully. You’re human, and say that while this is the absolute worst, and you feel lost, and confused, and upset, you can look at it and think about the future. Think about how these terrible times are in no way a reflection on you-- they happen to everybody.

I hope you can say out loud that this is the absolute worst, but it doesn’t mean that I am the absolute worst or that I should become any less of myself.