I know it's easy to feel so small and insignificant in this giant world.
Each morning you open your eyes. Some mornings it's easy. You hop out of bed, grab that cup of coffee, take your hot shower, and you're on your way. Some mornings it's difficult. You need the warmth of the sun shining through your window, reflecting on your face and warming up your body to reassure you that today is a new day, and it's going to be okay.
You look around and see everyone going about their day. Cars flying by at the speed of light, headed to some unknown destination. They go so fast you wonder if they ever take the time to slow down and embrace the beauty around them. You feel like you don't fit in. Like there's no place for you to turn when you have had one of those days where it's so incredibly difficult to get out of bed. But you do. Every night someone, somewhere, falls asleep thinking about you. Every morning, someone wakes up and looks forward to seeing you because you inspire them. Every morning, someone else has just as much trouble getting out of bed because they, too, feel like they don't belong.
You stand in a crowd of people. At a concert, at a party, in the middle of grocery store. You feel accomplished because you were able to get out of bed this morning, but you still feel anxieties about what everyone you run into is thinking about you. You worry that your hair is too frizzy and everyone is whispering about it. You worry that the jeans you're wearing are too baggy and that they don't have the right logo on them, so you worry that everyone is making fun of you. You grab your groceries, and you wonder if people are judging you for the box of mac and cheese that you grabbed off that middle shelf.
You go home and you scroll through social media. You eat that box of mac and cheese for dinner and you think to yourself that you could look just like all these girls you consider "beautiful", if only you would have exchanged that mac and cheese for a salad. The truth is, half of those girls feel the same way about you. You are beautiful.
You climb into bed and you feel thankful that you made it through another day. You feel lucky that today was better than yesterday, and you pray that tomorrow will be better than today. You go to sleep thinking about that boy in your classes that you've admired, but never felt good enough for, not knowing that he falls asleep thinking of you, too. You don't think you're good enough for anyone to love, but here's the truth:
YOU ARE LOVED, AND YOU DO BELONG HERE.
Anxiety and depression are disorders that so many children, adolescents, and adults struggle with every single day. Take a moment to tell someone you care about how much they mean to you, and that you couldn't live without them. You never know whose life you will save just by telling them that you care.
Always be kind, and remember that you don't always know what demons other people are fighting.
Lend a hand. Be the voice that talks someone up, instead of the force that pushes someone down.
Love each other. Like the Beatles sang, "All you need is love".
