Are you Ok?

I know things are hard and you're in pain, you're with few words and don't want to talk, seeking solace in the dark corner of your mind, unwilling to let go because it feels peaceful, it's safe. Are you OK?

Your smile is weary, I bet it's been brighter before, and it can't camouflage the pain you're harboring, the dilation of your pupils reflects the sad darkness crawling deep inside you. Are you OK?

You sit in silence, a fortress of stillness around you, guarding a heart that's been bruised, a soul that's been worn thin. You think no one notices the tremble in your hands, the way you flinch at loud noises, the way your breath catches when memories surface like ghosts in the night. Are you OK?

It’s easy to hide when the world expects you to be strong, to put on a brave face, and keep moving forward, but I see you. I see the cracks in your armor, the moments when your strength falters and your eyes glaze over, lost in thoughts that spiral down into that dark place you’ve built for yourself. Are you OK?

You don’t have to say anything, not a word. I understand. Sometimes, the weight is too heavy to put into sentences, the pain too complex to unravel in conversation. Sometimes, it’s enough to just be there, to let someone else carry the silence with you, to feel less alone in your aloneness. Are you OK?

I know it’s hard to believe, but there’s light somewhere beyond the darkness, a warmth that will find its way to you, even in the deepest winter of your soul. There’s a place where the pain doesn’t reach, where you can breathe again without the ache in your chest, where you can smile without it feeling like a mask. Are you OK?

You’re not broken, even though it feels like you are. You’re not lost, even though the path ahead seems blurred and uncertain. You’re not alone, even though the loneliness wraps around you like a shroud. Are you OK?

I see you fighting, even when you don’t think you are. I see the strength it takes to get up every day, to face the world when all you want to do is retreat. I see the courage it takes to keep going, even when every step feels like a battle. Are you OK?

It’s not okay to not be okay. It’s okay to let the tears fall, to let the sadness wash over you like a wave, to let yourself feel the pain that you’ve been holding at bay. It’s okay to be vulnerable, to admit that you’re struggling, to ask for help when you need it. Are you OK?

But know this: you are loved, more than you can imagine. You are valued, more than you can see right now. You are needed, more than you believe in this moment. And you will get through this, no matter how impossible it feels. Are you OK?

So, when you’re ready, when the darkness lifts just a little, and you can breathe just a little easier, know that I’m here. I’ll be here, waiting with open arms and a heart full of hope for you, for the day when you can finally say, “Yes, I’m OK.”