People that always seem happy seem to have this stigma that their life is perfect, well I've learned throughout the past two and a half years specifically that that is definitely not true. I've learned that those happy people are usually the ones with the tear-stained pillows at night. They're the people that are so happy around others because they don't want to have to explain why they are really screaming out for help on the inside. They are the girls that constantly remember being sexually assaulted, the guys whose family battle a form of addiction, the little girl being bullied at school because of her weight, the little boy being bullied at school because of the way he dresses, they and so many others who show you that smile to make you think they have a quote-unquote perfect life. They're the people that can't get out of bed in the mornings because of how depressed they are, it about breaks them to do it. They're the people that make up excuses to stay at home because they can't bring themselves to be seen in public. They're the people that are the most fragile but seem the most strong.

I've learned that most of the time, those smiles are fake. Those perfect lives are very far from perfect. And those people that genuinely seem happy all the time are not.

Sometimes, actually most of the time, things are easier to keep bottled in until you either explode or find someone that truly understands. And when I say understand, I don't mean someone who is "sympathetic" I mean those who are empathetic because they've gone through the same situation or one of equal magnitude.

The purpose of this article isn't to stop making you sympathetic. It's to make you realize that you truly can't judge a book by it's cover. Nor should you. Someone may make you think that they have a great life, but you have no idea what they may be truly struggling with. Just keep my words in mind the next time you're wishing for someone else's life. We all have a chapter in our books that we will never share with anyone, we all have our own broken fairy tale.