We were supposed to be buying groceries the day you missed the exit, turning south instead of north on the freeway. It almost seemed like an accident but then we laughed, reasoned the fridge could stay empty for one more day. We drove until we saw fields of golden yarrows, to the place where the sky meets the sea. Our feet found the staircase leading to the sand and we buried our toes in the softness, letting the heat pierce each layer of skin until it became forgettable, until the cold foam rushed in and returned us to ourselves.
I might be missing context here, but setting aside the nice prose, which is worthwhile, as a person with major depressive disorder, people telling me "I promise it gets better" never helps - it feels like an implicit betrayal of your humanity. *Nobody* knows whether things get better, unless you're some kind of god. For a lot of us, things just get worse until we decide we can't take it any longer and end it. Anyways, it's worth considering.
Hi Stefan - thanks for your comments & for reading. As someone who also has depression, I completely agree with you and I would never advocate for telling someone it gets better. I think the missing context here can be found in former pieces (the archive is paywalled, but I’m happy to gift a sub if you’re interested). In short, after coming out of a dark season of grief and depression last year, this piece is my personal way of processing the other side all while partnering with someone who is on their own trajectory. It’s not meant to offer advice or be prescriptive in any way. That said, I appreciate your feedback and the reminder that things may land in different ways for different readers. And I apologize if this in any way came across as claiming something that I could never truly know.
i love the sincerity in your writing! It takes bravery ❤
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for this 🤍
Beautiful. Thank you
Thank you! This resonates so deeply with me.
Love mount joy. I saw them in the pandemic. They did an outdoor car concert ❤️
Thank you, needed to hear this today .
amazing
Love your words. Thank you 🌾
Ugh. Tears.
Yes, the "new sadness" has taken hold of most of us, those of us who look beyond the surface....
I might be missing context here, but setting aside the nice prose, which is worthwhile, as a person with major depressive disorder, people telling me "I promise it gets better" never helps - it feels like an implicit betrayal of your humanity. *Nobody* knows whether things get better, unless you're some kind of god. For a lot of us, things just get worse until we decide we can't take it any longer and end it. Anyways, it's worth considering.
Hi Stefan - thanks for your comments & for reading. As someone who also has depression, I completely agree with you and I would never advocate for telling someone it gets better. I think the missing context here can be found in former pieces (the archive is paywalled, but I’m happy to gift a sub if you’re interested). In short, after coming out of a dark season of grief and depression last year, this piece is my personal way of processing the other side all while partnering with someone who is on their own trajectory. It’s not meant to offer advice or be prescriptive in any way. That said, I appreciate your feedback and the reminder that things may land in different ways for different readers. And I apologize if this in any way came across as claiming something that I could never truly know.
❤️