Dear Kaya,
Six year ago, when I was you, I told myself that a decade into the future I wanted to be able to say that I overcame depression and misery. But it turns out that I didn’t have to wait that long. And neither will you. Because we’re one in the same; perfectly imperfect in every single way. The next few years are going to fly by, so try to appreciate the small moments of happiness you will inevitably experience as best you can. Because it feels like just yesterday that it was July 17th, 2012 and I was exactly where you are now.
I started writing because I feared who I was. But six years later, I continue to write because I’m damn proud of who I have become, and because I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to change anything about the path that I have walked. I know that you wrote that you wanted to tell depression to fuck off. Believe me, there was a time when I wanted to say that too. But I felt I needed to write to you and say you never will. Not because you lose your battle; but because you’ll learn that you can’t fight fire with fire, and you’ll kill depression with kindness instead.
Keep your chin up, Kaya. Keep photographing your birds, do your paintings. And always remember that no matter how bad life may seem, there is always the possibility for it to get better. You just have to give it a chance.
Yours Truly,
Alex Parker
My Mother died on May 1, 2019. The world lost the most beautiful, kind and wise woman. Светлая память моей маме!
