Someone once told me their theory of every person going through the same amount of negative events in their life, just in different intervals. Some experience it all at once, others are spread throughout their years, and so on. It seems as if you have had all of yours happen this week.

My dear, I know things are unbearable. There is no incentive for you to get out of bed, go to class, or even care about the consequences. I know no one can ease the pain in your heart that you are struggling to carry on your own. I may not be able to understand the exact pain you are going through in this situation, but I recognize the depth of it. I have fallen into the same abyss many times, struggling every step of the way for months to pull myself out of it. To say I am worried about you is an understatement. Seeing the people you love in pain with no way to help them is one of the worst things we must all go through in life.

Believe me when I say I would take it all from you in a moment if I could bear the burden of your sadness instead. Be kind to yourself during this time. I know this is a foreign concept to you from years of being so hard on yourself. To a degree, being tough on yourself has been good. It is the driving force behind your success and strong personality, something so many people admire about you. Simultaneously, you cannot hide the self-blame I see in your eyes. I know you better than I know myself, best friend. This is not a time for tough love, but for tenderness and understanding.

I do not wish for you to go through this time, feeling as if you have to mask your pain with a smile and fight it alone. I wish for you to take the time you need to lay in bed, to be alone with your thoughts, to heal from the traumatic week. I wish for you to process this nightmare and step through to storm on the other side, whole and refreshed from the down pour. Find your strength in realizing that it is not your duty to fake a smile, to hold it together, or to pretend you are okay in this time of sorrow.

You are not okay, and that is okay.

I am proud of you for being wise past your young years. It is not easy to have a huge heart in world that can be so cold at times. And though many times life has gotten the best of you, you remain standing with that open heart and unwavering faith in God, your friends, and your family. I thank you for the strength you have always had to help me when I feel dark and twisted. Without it, I never would have learned how to be there when you feel the same.

In this time, lean on God and seek his guidance through all of this. I love you. You are not alone.