"I look my dear friend in the eyes and see the dark sheet of
depression hovering over her. "I don't want to say I'm depressed and
belittle the suffering of others," she says. I wish I could find the
words to tell her that acknowledging sadness in yourself does not
belittle others' suffering, in fact i validates it. We are all humans
who suffer, we were created with emotions and we need to express them.
Experiencing and expressing pain joins you with people in a true, deep
way that cannot be faked. Acknowledging the humanity in yourself
allows the acknowledgement of humanity in others. It is an acceptance
of what is real in this world. But what words can help? I want to say
something that will instantly dissolve the sheet into sunshine and
flowers and kittens, everything light in the world. But I know this is
not what she needs, she needs me to climb under the sheet with her and
stay there until she can take it off herself. We can make a fort out
of it, use flashlights and tell scary stories, play with dolls, watch
movies, sleep and cry. We need to create a world under it until it
becomes unobtrusive, until it slowly becomes see through so our eyes
adjust to the sun before we even know it. The expression in her face
is familiar to me, it looks like my own. Why is it so hard for people
to see that we're all the same? You're struggles are my struggles are
our struggles. And the way to combat them is together. Not in a
forceful way, or rushed, or flippant; but softly and full of whispers
and touches, and true, raw, vulnerable honesty. The way to create this
is to make it true, myself. I, and no one else, can change my
experiences and interactions, I must manifest what I want to see. IPublished on
will try with my friend, I'll crawl into her fort and bring a pillow,
a sleeping bag and a stuffed unicorn, just in case. I'll curl up with
her, learn who she is and who I am and who we all are. This is all I
can do and everything that needs to be done, the rest will become."
depression hovering over her. "I don't want to say I'm depressed and
belittle the suffering of others," she says. I wish I could find the
words to tell her that acknowledging sadness in yourself does not
belittle others' suffering, in fact i validates it. We are all humans
who suffer, we were created with emotions and we need to express them.
Experiencing and expressing pain joins you with people in a true, deep
way that cannot be faked. Acknowledging the humanity in yourself
allows the acknowledgement of humanity in others. It is an acceptance
of what is real in this world. But what words can help? I want to say
something that will instantly dissolve the sheet into sunshine and
flowers and kittens, everything light in the world. But I know this is
not what she needs, she needs me to climb under the sheet with her and
stay there until she can take it off herself. We can make a fort out
of it, use flashlights and tell scary stories, play with dolls, watch
movies, sleep and cry. We need to create a world under it until it
becomes unobtrusive, until it slowly becomes see through so our eyes
adjust to the sun before we even know it. The expression in her face
is familiar to me, it looks like my own. Why is it so hard for people
to see that we're all the same? You're struggles are my struggles are
our struggles. And the way to combat them is together. Not in a
forceful way, or rushed, or flippant; but softly and full of whispers
and touches, and true, raw, vulnerable honesty. The way to create this
is to make it true, myself. I, and no one else, can change my
experiences and interactions, I must manifest what I want to see. IPublished on
will try with my friend, I'll crawl into her fort and bring a pillow,
a sleeping bag and a stuffed unicorn, just in case. I'll curl up with
her, learn who she is and who I am and who we all are. This is all I
can do and everything that needs to be done, the rest will become."
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