To the girl who feels invisible, you aren't alone.

I've been there. I think we've all been there. The bad days start to add up and cast a dark shadow over the good in your life. It's hard to see past the negative and it clouds your mind constantly. Even when you look for the light, you just can't seem to find it. The loneliness and hurt is riding heavily upon your shoulders and you just wish someone would come alongside you and give you some relief. You feel as though you are shrinking under the weight of all your worries and insecurities. No one notices so therefore it feels like no one cares. It's a lonely and long journey back to wholeness and happiness. But it's out there and you need to keep moving towards it.

Trust me, I know darkness and I know loneliness. Just this year, I got married to the man I thought was the one I would spend the rest of my life with and within months, more like weeks, it all shattered. My husband and I separated in September and my family disowned me the moment they got wind of the separation. Even some of my friends turned their back on me. With the guilt and shame of a failed marriage hanging over my head along with the sting of family betrayal, I spiraled out into a silent, destructive mess. At work and in public, no one knew the horribly deep wounds I carried with me through my day. I wore a smile and always answered "I'm great" when asked how I was doing. I wanted everyone to believe I was pulling myself up and pushing through this trial, but at the same time I just wanted someone to sit me down and have a real conversation about what was going on. I was lonely and I wondered if people knew how badly I was crying out deep down for someone to save me, for someone to see me.

To the girl who feels invisible, you don't have to be alone.

I shut myself off when everything started to get heavy. I didn't want to admit my failure and I didn't want to show my pain. Growing up in a law enforcement family, I was taught not to show weakness. I was taught that you don't let people see you cry. I was taught to push through the pain and deal with it on my own. And let me be completely honest, that line of thinking crippled me. There were days I felt like giving up. The weight would get so heavy on my shoulders and my mind would race around all the negative things that were happening. It was easy to get lost in it. I lived alone, I worked alone, I spent my free time alone. My mind had plenty of time to come up with new cataclysmic thoughts and I allowed myself to believe them as truth. That was my biggest mistake.

Take it from a girl who felt invisible herself: don't shut yourself off from people because believe it or not, there are people who want to help you. I had lost someone who I thought was my best friend. I lost my family. I lost some of my friends. Although it was a gut-wrenching turn of events, I still had people who loved and supported me through everything. My pride and hurt kept me from reaching out, but in hindsight, I wish I had gone to them the moment everything began. I even began seeing a therapist who has helped me build myself back up again. I'm not completely healed, but I'm getting there. I'm working towards rebuilding my self-confidence, my self-worth, and my foundation in life. My invisibility stemmed from me standing in my own way. I broke through my invisibility by focusing on reconstructing who I was and surrounding myself with people who helped me form my new foundation in life.

To the girl who feels invisible, I see you.

Perhaps we haven't been through the same circumstances, but I feel your pain. I know what it's like to cry yourself to sleep every night. I know what it's like to wake up to no text messages and no calls. I know what it's like to have your parents call you names and cut you off. I know what it's like to have your heart broken by a guy who you thought loved you. I know what it's like to be emotionally and mentally hurt by people who you trust and love. I know what it's like to have to fake a smile every time you see someone you know. I know what it's like to lie about how you're really doing. I know how hard it is to wake up and go through the motions of your everyday life like everything is okay. But you're doing it. Despite all the hurt and the pain, you keep doing it. Don't you see how strong you really are? If you were weak, you would have given up a long time ago.

You are strong enough to pull through whatever you are going through. You aren't invisible. You aren't weak. You aren't broken. Every day you get out of bed and continue your routine in life, you are getting a little stronger even if your mind doesn't want to admit it. Believe it or not, people do see you and people do want to help you. Reach out. As it is said, no (wo)man is an island. Whether it be friends, coworkers, or a therapist, talking through the hurt helps. It's helpful because you can often get a new perspective on things from someone who isn't in the cloud of sadness you are stuck in. Trials in life make you stronger. Push through it. I made it and so can you.

To the girl who feels invisible, you are important.
To the girl who feels invisible, you are strong.
To the girl who feels invisible, you have a purpose.
To the girl who feels invisible, you belong here.
To the girl who feels invisible, you are loved.