To The Person Who Is Hurting, I'm Writing To You. You Belong Here.

To the person who is hurting. The person who feels broken, lost, alone, at war with themselves.

I’m writing to you.

Inside, you want to cry.

I feel you. I hear you.

I know you want to cry,
and you want to sob,
and you want to scream,
and you want someone to tell you that everything is going to be okay. That you are not alone. That this pain you now feel will one day pass.

This emotional trauma that you are carrying, is inside.

Inside, where your voice is loud.
Inside, where you dare to speak out.
Inside, where you have the strength to cry.

Outside, you paint on a smile.

You bite your gum to keep the tears at bay.
You clench your jaw to keep yourself together.
You clasp your hands to keep yourself from falling apart.

There are so many questions.
So many words coursing through your precious mind; you do not know how to string them all together.
You just want to know why.
You just want to know how.

You ache to let your tears, the sacred saltwater of your soul, flow freely.
You so desperately yearn to unclench your jaw and unclasp your hands,
the hunger to let yourself fall apart at the seams,
and collapse into the arms of those around you.
To give permission to those that love you so dearly, to hold you up.

Darling soul, it’s time now for you to lean on the ones that you love and love you back.
It’s time to give yourself a rest,
to retreat.
And let the current of those around you guide you through.

I know right now,
you don’t feel seen,
you don’t feel heard.

You feel as though you’ve been forgotten.
You don’t think anyone remembers you.
You don’t think anyone thinks of you.
You don’t think anyone contemplates your presence here.

And you believe these lies.

But the truth is,
that you are not forgettable,
and you have not been forgotten, either.

You are here.

You are still breathing,
and your heart is still beating.

Your tears are still allowed to fall, and even though your voice feels hoarse and tired,
you are still able to be heard, should you feel ready to speak.

Voice the lies so that the ones around you can show you the truth.
Speak the fears so that the ones around you can show you how much bravery is within you.
Speak what you need – so that your voice can remind you how you’re still here.

Take comfort in the presence of others,
and know that you are not alone.
Never, alone.

You do not have to put on a mask, a façade, just to push forward, to prove your strength.

You are strong in your simple existence.
In your laughter.
In your smile.
You are strong in the way you carry yourself,
in the way you step,
in the way you continue,
day after day.

You don’t always have to be loud to be heard.
But you shouldn’t be silent.

DO NOT SILENCE YOUR VOICE SO THE WORLD CAN BE HEARD; FOR YOU ARE A MAGNIFICENT PART OF THIS WORLD.

I just want you to know that your voice is important and worthy of being listened to. And that people are ready to listen.
I want you to know, that you have a right;
To this life. To your skin. To your body, your hopes, your dreams.

You have a right;
To believe. To stand. To sit. To chase. To embody the very values you believe in.
You have a right;
To tell your story. To be heard. To be bold and fearless and unafraid.

You have a right;
To be respected and loved and encouraged. To be noticed and empowered and strengthened by the people around you, every step of the way.

I’m right here, a cup of tea in hand and an open heart, ready to listen.

Do not feel like you have to do this alone.
Please, I pray for you, reach out and let yourself be carried.