I am not blind to the fact that it has not been smooth sailing lately. I will also admit I am not even fully aware of the person I have become of late. Even this body sometimes feels alien to me. I have been turned into a ghost, standing aside, watching my life fall apart and the good things about life get past me.

I am not even comfortable in my skin, and I am drowning in negativity. This has been a bumpy ride. But in it all, you have been an ever-present ray of hope. In this dark valley of sorrows and distress, you have given me a shoulder to lean on.

You called to see how I was doing. I got your texts, the funny and inspiring emojis, the hilarious memes that made me smile through the pain. But these are just small things, yet they meant everything to me.

I cannot forget the big things you did for me as well. You talked me off a ledge, you helped me get help from a therapist, and you infused optimism into a life that was overflowing with negativity. I could not even stand being myself, but you could and helped me find the courage to give hope a chance.

You saw the good in me when all I could see was a vast wilderness of hopelessness that surrounded me. I was at a point where I thought everything has a limit, but you were there to prove that true love knows no limits – it endures no matter what. And I am eternally grateful for the lesson because now I know that the good can always triumph over the bad.

From now henceforth, however, tempted I may be to give in to the darkness, I know that a little ray of light is all that's needed to cast away the shadow of pessimism that sometimes follows us. While everyone was telling me to get over it, you did not. You were genuinely interested in knowing how well I was doing.

Dealing with depression is something I was never prepared for, and it can take a lot out of a person. I reminisce on the days when cheap thrills around the city made the days fly by in total joy. Those days seem like distant memories when I consider what a struggle it is for me to put a smile on my face at the moment.

But I know there is hope because you were with me every step of the way. You did not leave when I gave you a hundred reasons to do so. You were there even when I felt like crawling out of my skin and saying goodbye to the hell that had now become my life.

You are one of a kind, and you helped me learn more about myself than I ever imagined. I am truly fortunate to have a friend like you, a friend who sticks it out no matter what comes along.

So, know this – I am so grateful for the phone calls the lifted me from a dark place.

Thank you so much for the texts. They made me forget the sorrow and the desolation and see the possibility of joy in my life once more.