Darling, let me tell you something. I can spend countless hours trying to protect you from the physical harm this world can bring. I can try to save you from the storms that this life will undoubtedly throw your way. I can do everything in my power to shield you from the violence and the sickness and the tragedies.

However, I will try even harder to protect you from the tsunamis that will flood your mind. The tornadoes that will violently spin your emotions. And the hurricanes that will strip you of all your feelings. The mental weight that will crush you and leave you feeling worthless and ashamed.

I love you and respect you too much to lie to you. I will never tell you that this life is all sunshine and roses. Sometimes, this life just sucks. I am going to be real with you. I have to be real with you.

I will let you know that sadness is going to happen. Maybe even depression. There will be times when you doubt your purpose and go looking for it in things that will deceive you. There will be times that nothing makes sense and it will fill you with a rage that consumes you.

Some nights, insomnia will sweep you up in its arms and take you to places you never wanted to go. Some nights you will drift away to places you never knew existed. The blackness and hopelessness of this world will wrap its arms around you and hold on so tightly, it feels as if your very life is slowly slipping away.

I'm here to tell you that through all of that, I'm never going to leave your side:

I don't care if you have to scream at me, come downstairs and cuss me out. I don't care if it's 3 A.M. and the tears are streaming down your face, wake me. I don't care if you got so mad that you punched a hole in my favorite painting, I will ice your hand. I don't care if you are so scared you can't even speak, I will hold you, and we can battle the silence together.

There will be times when everything in life feels like a war. I will be a faithful soldier. We will fight it together. You don't have to be alone, and I promise you, you never will be. But you have to promise me that you'll never give up. Don't let the darkness take away your ability to shine. Don't let your breakdowns define who you are. Don't let your life be filled with so much hatred, that there's no room for love. Don't push away the people who care about you, even if you think that's what's best for them.

Life is too hard to try and do all by yourself. So this I swear: When the world turns its back on you, I never will.