Dear Me in 7th Grade,

I know how hard it is now.

I know how hard it is to get up every morning and get ready for school.

I know how hard it is to walk through the fluorescent-lit hallways and keep your head high when all you want to do is hide until its time to go home.

I know how hard it is to keep up the facade so no one will know how you really feel.

And I also know that it all gets better.

I know that all you want to do more than anything is lay in bed and not get up or talk to anyone because its too hard.

I know that you want someone to notice how much pain you are in because you just can't find the words to articulate all those feelings.

I know how confused you are about why you feel this way.

I know you feel like you will never get better and you are "broken"

But I can tell you that you are NOT broken.

I can tell you that its not your fault that you feel this way. I can tell you that you are not messed up.

And most importantly, I can tell you that you are not alone.

You are not the only one feeling this way.

Mom and Dad are not going to love you any less because you feel this way.

Your friends are not going to stop being friends with you because you feel this way.

You are NOT alone.

I know how hard all of this is to hear.

But please, trust me. I have already lived through it and I am here to write about it. I am here to tell you that it will get better. I am here to challenge you to open up a little. Let someone in, however scary it may be. No one can help you if you don't tell them how you feel. Nothing will change if you don't do one hard thing. I am not saying you have to do it alone, but maybe the one hard thing is telling someone that you need help. Maybe the one hard thing is being vulnerable for 10 seconds.

Being vulnerable does NOT make you weak.

You WILL get through this. I know because I have been there and I am here now, stronger than ever and beyond grateful that I went through what I did. Because I would not know the joy and happiness I do now if I had never known what pain and sorrow is as well.