An Open Letter To Someone Who Would Rather Leave Than Live

Hope is the last thing ever lost.

Hey,
I know it is hard for you. I know you are tired. You are struggling to survive with the demons that are close and loud.
I know you try to silence your intrusive thoughts during the day and hide from them at night and the hell they put you through. I understand how hard you work to hide it all, pretend you’re okay and paint a convincing smile on your face.
I know all of this has left you exhausted and that you have numbed yourself. I know it seems impossible to get through this; impossible to think that that moment will ever come or you will ever be happy again.

I know I have no right at all to ask you to stick around. I know the feeling of drowning in pain, which has led me to a breakdown thrice. Even though I can’t put myself in your shoes right now, I ask you to stay. Tomorrow is the place where hope lives, and I would be grateful if you could give yourself a chance to share space with that hope.
If you stick around, you’ll hear that song that’ll change your life, and you’ll dance to it like no one’s watching (and then not care that they are).
If you stick around, you will outlive your demons. And yes, there’ll be moments of despair, painful seasons, and dark nights of the soul you’ll need to endure. You’ll screw things up and let them down. You’ll hurt and wonder how you’ll ever make it through. But then you’ll remember the hell you walked through to get here, and you might remember this letter, and you’ll realize you’re going to be okay because tomorrow is still waiting for you.
So I guess this is just a reminder from someone who sees what you may not see from here, the future, one that’ll be a lot better with you in it. And once the storm passes, the sunlight will still be beautiful.
Stay.
Hang on.
Things will get better. Trust me.
Love, Dhriti