Be the friend who brings the light

I had a really rough day yesterday. I was down and feeling lonely, and I could feel myself starting to spiral into the depths of depression and anxiety. I do try pretty hard to combat these types of feelings, but I'm human, and the feelings were definitely winning the battle yesterday. Just as I was about ready to crawl into bed and possibly never come out, I got a notification on my phone. It was a text from a friend who said she just wanted to see how I was doing. It truly felt like a ray of sunshine on a dark day. A little later, my phone dinged again. It was another friend (not a mutual friend with the first) texting to say she had been thinking about me and just wanted to check on me. Another ray of sunshine. 

For a person in a dark place, any ray of sunshine matters because even the smallest light dispels the darkness. I have also been the sender of such texts and have been told by the friends who received them that they came at just the right time and that they made a difference. I often have the experience of having a person--whether a close friend or random acquaintance--pop into my head for seemingly no particular reason. I may not know why, but I try to heed the voice when I recognize it. It literally just takes a few seconds to send them a text or a DM and let them know they are on my mind, that they are seen and cared for. And I know from experience that those few seconds can make a big impact on the other end. It's easy to let the moment pass. It's easy to be much too busy or distracted to take the time. But people are interconnected, and if someone is on your mind, I believe it can be incredibly meaningful to them to let them know. You may not even know they need the light you have to offer (they may not even know they need it themselves until they receive it), but offer it anyway. Your light will make a difference. I promise.