My dear friend,

There is a chance that you and I have known each other for a long time. There is also the chance that we are yet to meet. Perhaps these words will be the only interaction that you and I have. In any case, I know that you are flying through the internet faster than many thought possible and that your attention is one of the most elusive resources on the planet. So I will get to the point.

You are enough.

The pain you are feeling right now might be screaming at you for attention. It might be all-encompassing. It might be threatening to smother you. It might be the single most overwhelming thing you have ever felt. But it does not need to define you. It does not need to bring you to your knees and then keep you there. It is something that you can overcome. I promise.

This is not the end of the world. You can get up. You should get up. I know it seems impossible. I know it feels unattainable. But you can do it. How do I know? Because I am here to help you up. And there are others, so many others, that want to help you up. Reach out and take their hand. Stand with us. And move forward.

Moving forward is not easy but it's not meant to be contrary to what many believe. Resistance is a good thing. It means you're on the right track. And the incredible feeling of progress... it is a thing of beauty.

This heartbreak that is tearing through you is not your end. It is not your destruction. It is a setback, yes. Painful? Of course. Nothing in life that truly matters refuses to bring some level of pain with it. It is the nature of living to be tested and tried and challenged.

This grief that you cannot seem to shake and leave behind you is not your curse. There are so many beautiful things happening all around you that are calling to you to step out from behind the clouds and embrace the warmth of the sun.

This cycle of self-defeating behaviors stopped bringing you relief a long time ago. You no longer need to be its prisoner. You can experience freedom like never before. It is available to you. All you have to do is take it.

You may feel overburdened and forgotten, but I have not forgotten you my friend. I am still here. Take a few moments and close your eyes. Listen to the stillness of your spirit and hear a small voice inside of you that is crying out for change, for relief, for peace. It is deep within you, even if the pain is a roaring monster in your core. It is still there in spite of all the agony that feels like it has burned your insides and left you a shell of a person. It is there. It is love.

And it is fiercely loyal.

I have stood where you are. I have laid on that bed of nails. I have questioned everything I know and everything I hold dear. But I am still here. I fought for forward progress and I never did it alone. I did it with the help of those who came before me. And those that come after me. I learned something amazing: I am enough. And I will say it again: so are you.

You have everything you need inside of you. You just need to draw it to the surface.

Stay loved because you are. If you cannot care for yourself, let others care for you until you can. Keep listening for that voice inside you that demands the change, the beauty, the love. Embrace it and let it be your guide. It will not let you fall.

Thank you for being here and reading this. Thank you for helping me on my journey. I look forward to seeing yours.

With all my love,