I love this quote. Probably because it comes very close to describing my own life. There have been times when I really questioned why I continued on, but I have to admit, there are certainly more times when I am glad that I did.
Some of you know that I have suffered from depression for most of my life. It has been an ongoing battle for me. Depression makes you forget the good things and only focus on the bad. You lose the ability to reflect on life overall. Mostly, your focus shifts to only remembering those things that hurt you.
I have had so many people in my life who judge me because of the depression. As a child growing up, my nickname was "Sad Sack". Not very uplifting, but if I am honest with myself, it was probably pretty accurate. I remember as a teenager feeling as if I had no worth. At one time, I wanted to end it all. I was tired of fighting. I was hurting, I was angry, I was sad.
My life was changed by a friend who cared enough about me to spend time giving me someone to talk to and vent with. He also helped me to overcome some of the negativity in my life. I will love him forever for that. For many years, I truly felt that he was the big brother I never had. He married an amazing woman who has loved him for a very long time. He has a beautiful family and is a great example of love in action.
Through his love, I was able to find value in myself and reach out to others. I was able to love and be loved in my life. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and beautiful children. My husband is very much like my adopted big brother. He loves me unconditionally, just as I am, with all my faults and failings. He doesn't take initiative to point them out to me either!
I believe that our lives change and become better when others care about us. When we allow them to help us, guide us, walk with us in our journey. I have depression, but I also have many, many friends who have walked with me in this journey of life. They lift me up when I fall, they comfort me, they move me, they are joy in my soul.
I have learned that life is hard for us all. We all have trials and difficulties along the way. Some are worse than others, but I know that the ones I have help me to be closer to God. Live is amazing. It is incredible. I think of all the things that I would have missed if I had ended it all those years ago. I think of the people I would never have known or the joys I would never have experienced.
Life is to be savored, the bitter and the sweet, all of it together in a mixed up, messy, and amazing experience.
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