“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou

I don’t write a lot of posts on Motivating Giraffe so I hope you’ll forgive me for this one. I know that it is so hard to talk about mental illness and depression without coming across as preachy or naive or just mind-blowingly ignorant. I hope I don’t do that.

Depression is a shape-shifter, a disease, an invisible weight (at least…mine is). Somehow in the blink of an eye, life can flutter from the beauty of a bird in the sky to the excruciating numbness of television static. I don’t draw these pictures because I think I have the answer, or because I believe positive sayings and love can cure some of the most unfair things that life can deal out. I don’t have an answer. I wish I did.

I’m not even sure what I’m trying to say. I guess just whoever you are, reading this, suffering out loud or in silence, or you love somebody who is. Whether no one knows or everybody knows. Please just know that it is okay to be struggling. There is nothing wrong with you. There is nothing wrong with any of us. I wish I knew why it feels so much like we have to stay quiet.

Just try your best. What else can we do, but that.

Sincerely, and with everything in me, take care of yourself and be kind to yourself. I really love you guys.

Penny