I love you.

I may not know any of you personally. You all may be thinking, "What the hell is this chick on?" But before you close out of this blog and continue on to read some awesome author's story on this site, please hear me out.

I was going back and forth between this idea in my head, wondering if I should or shouldn't post. But in the end, I decided there wouldn't really be any harm in posting, and if even just one person could benefit from this post, it would be worth typing this up.

You know how there are times when you stare at a word for too long? And it begins to look a bit off? You start to wonder why have I never noticed how this word looks? you begin to pick on flaw after flaw, over something as silly as how a word is spelled.

Have you ever noticed that you do that yourself? Maybe you spend a bit more time than usual looking at yourself in the mirror, and the harder you look, the longer you look, you begin pick out flaws of yourself. Maybe your stomach isn't a flat board. Maybe your legs feel too short. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

I'm telling you right here and now: forget about all that.

Our biggest enemy, our biggest source of loathing and judging comes from ourselves.

Now I may also be wrong. Please correct me or inform me otherwise. I wrote this not only to reach out to those in need, but to educate myself more as well, as to the pain and struggles of those in my community and all around the world. I cannot speak from my own personal experience.

But know this: you are beautiful. Please don't judge yourself according to someone's standards, or compare yourself to others. You are not them. Don't try to be someone you aren't; don't try to be perfect. Humans aren't perfect. We weren't born this way and quite frankly, we never will be. The best thing you can do is to be yourself.

There are obviously other factors into depression and other mental illnesses that people have. Stress, pressure, and expectations in our society today are exponentially and significantly higher than ever before. There's always the pressure of being the best, of getting good grades, of beating your peers. In a society where the standards are higher than the kid smoking weed in the school bathrooms, what can we expect?

Nothing. society and their standards. You are not your GPA, you are not that 75 you got on that math test, you are nothing but you. And if society can't appreciate and respecct you for who you are, then them.

It isn't fair that we be judged and measured based on how much information we can memorize, information that isn't even used in our futures. It's simply impossible. They can't know how you struggle with academics, but understand music or sport like a pro. So please don't hold yourself accountable under these standards.

I have friends with depression. One of them made a bad decision and almost lost her life. I am here today to tell you: People care. People are here to listen to your silent cries. Let your demons out and allow us to help support you along the way.

I am in no way, depressed. As such I cannot truly comprehend and understand that depth of sadness. For people today in our world to reach a point of stress where death seems like a better alternative is horrifying and something I do not wish on anyone. But remember: Death is final, pain is only temporary.

Remember that you are strong! To have pulled through until this point, to have reached out for others, and to reach out for help makes you strong! The burden you carry on your back is not a light one, and most likely there are others who are going through the exact same thing as you! So keep faith and do what you can to take action, talk to others about their experiences if possible.

It will be hard. There are days when you are trapped in that dark corner of your mind, where nothing can console you and that's okay. It's perfectly fine to cry, to scream and be angry and sad and everything at once. That is what makes us human. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Never think that you are a burden. You matter. Every life on this planet matters. What matters most is that after all that you pick yourself back up and keep on fighting!

Never forget that we are here for you. I am here for you. There is always someone willing to listen. Remind yourself that's it's okay to not be perfect. There will be people to lend you their ears, to listen to your troubles and to offer you advice. But in the end, it's only YOU who can take that step going forward. With your experiences, you can shape yourself to become a champion. 

"All the wounds I carry will become my medals." ~Lu Han (Medals)

After all, this is a blog on AFF haha. Had to throw something about that song in here.

Have strength! Have faith! And most importantly, love yourself. Don't be afraid to reach out to those with a patient hand <3

dear stranger, my arms are open wide

Less than three,

PalmerPie