What a Handwritten Letter From a Stranger Meant to Me When I Was Depressed

Yesterday was a hard day depression-wise. I came home exhausted and in a fight with two of my friends. My night looked absolutely bleak. I had a mountain of homework staring me down. It seemed that my night would be very similar to my day — stressful and lonely.

I was completely shocked when I got home and checked my mail. I get a lot of mail from colleges, so I assumed it would be a pile of letters of that sort.

However, it wasn’t.

Waiting for me on my kitchen counter were two letters from a nonprofit called Letters Against Depression. I had completely forgotten that I had written to them in the first place. It was a suggested thing I didn’t take too seriously.

I’m usually hesitant to read things like that, because I’m tired of hearing the same platitudes over and over again. You will be OK… Life gets better… Life could be so much worse. I get it.

For some reason, I was drawn to these letters. I just had to read them. My curiosity got the better of me, so I tore them open and sat down to read.

I won’t lie to you. At first, I felt nothing. Until I came upon a line that said, “You are not alone.” I was, to say the least, floored.

Reading a letter from someone who had never met me, but yet still cared about me blew my mind. These letters are hanging on my wall right now, and they will remain there.

Don’t stay lonely. Reach out. Even if you don’t know how, start here. Let a real person write you an individualized note. Let yourself be loved.

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Getty Images photo via Nungning20