A Strong Person

I received an email the other day that stated…
“A strong person knows how to keep their life in order. Even with tears in their eyes, they still manage to say "I'm ok" with a smile.”

I’m not sure who originally wrote the quote, but the message is pretty clear. It’s a message that is well meaning and thought provoking. But it’s also a message that I find I must disagree. I think a strong person is someone that can look in your eyes and say, “I’m in a bad place right now, and I need your help.”

You see, too many times, I was that person that smiled that “I’m ok” smile - only then to spent hours by myself afterwards, feeling isolated… feeling alone… feeling like no one could possibly understand my heartache. Why? Because I thought that was what strong people were expected to do.

My fear: The message that gets sent around in emails, like the one above, is “Don’t be weak!” As I’ve said in the past, 54% of people polled believe depression is a personal weakness. Could these emails tarnish our thinking in regards to depression or feelings in general.

I know the person that sent me this email was forwarding it to me because they see me as a strong person. They know that many times, even in my life now, I will smile that “I’m ok” smile even when I’m not ok. I know they didn’t read into this email what I read into it. But, then again, they haven’t had the bouts I’ve had with this nasty thing called Depression.

Anyway, what I’d like to say is this:
“A strong person knows it’s okay to say absolutely nothing through tear filled eyes.”