“With a Little Help From My Friends” by Joe Cocker

I’m very open with my struggles of depression and sometimes anxiety. It’s been part of me since my early teens. Though there is a lot of darkness in me, there is also pure joy and sunlight.

I had somewhat stopped leaning on people due to constant disappointment of them not being able to hold me up during my time of need. When a strong person cracks or heaven forbid breaks, instead of being heard and allowed to cry, I’m always told to “buck up” and “be strong.” That’s enormous pressure to always remain intact.

In this digital age, the reach and support one can find is vast. Though I long for a local bestie to binge watch Downton Abbey (which I’m watching as I type this) and other fun shows or just hangout chatting, it struck me that I’ve been longing for the wrong thing. I keep focusing on friends in real life who can come over, but I see now I have made great female and male friends from all over the world thanks to social media.

From DMs, to supportive posts, to recorded messages from peeps in the UK, to sweet cards and unexpected gifts…how dare I say I’m lonely even for an instant!

So, as the musician and songwriter Joe Cocker sang With a Little Help From My Friends, that’s exactly why I’m able to write this with a genuine smile on my face. I thank those of you who always take time to connect with me on some level. It means more than you will ever know.

Thought I would also take this opportunity to share memories of fun times from the high school days through mid-20s. I always get excited to share pictures from my many, many photo albums and scrapbooks.