I am humbled, I am grateful

As I write, I'm sitting at work (La Spa) while a spa party goes on.  What's that, you ask?  Well.  We shut down the spa for 2 hours while 15-20 people (usually women) take over the lobby to drink wine, eat cookies and hummus (not together...I hope), gossip, laugh, and--oh yeah--get spa services.  We do mini-treatments for these, which basically means the massage therapists' rooms are revolving doors for clients, and the front desk just tries to keep the place from burning down to the ground.  (Scented candles + 1.5 bottles of wine per person + wino house wives?  Equals POTENTIAL DISASTER.  And hilarity.  Mostly hilarity.)

After the post this week about my breakup, I have had an amazing outpouring of support from friends, loved ones, even acquaintances I haven't spoken to in years, and a college ex-boyfriend (hi, Heath!).  Friends.  Family.  Readers everywhere.  Thank you.  I cannot tell you how meaningful it is that you all reached out to me.  People have opened up to me about their own breakups, their battles with depression, and their uncertainty about their romantic futures.  The most important things I have taken away from this:

I am not alone.  There are people all across the country who know me--including my faults and failures--and stand by me anyway.

I am loved.  (See above.)

Depression does not define me.  It is simply something that is part of my life.  But I can control it; IT DOES NOT CONTROL ME.

Depression is like having brown hair--some people have it, some people don't.  It doesn't change anything about that person.  Also?  Lots of people have it, and it doesn't mean that we are some sort of social pariah.  It just means our life looks a little different.  We deserve love, support, and understanding just like everyone else.

You never know who is waiting in the wings to come back into your life to offer support and affirmation.  Accept it, accept them, and be grateful.

Thank you, again, friends.  It is because of this support and love that I know everything will be okay.  Maybe not today.  Maybe not next week.  But when the chips are down, I've got more people than I could imagine on my side, waiting to pick me back up again.  I am incredibly humbled, and fantastically grateful.

And remember the words of Mae Mobley:  You is kind.  You is smart.  You is important.