There’s a phrase I’ve heard many times in my life, “it’s okay not to be okay.” And I strongly agree with it. In my opinion, happiness is not permanent. Ups and downs are inevitable, and every person encounters some type of storm at some point. That’s why so many people think they’re not okay… because they can’t find sustainable happiness. They’re chasing after what society illustrates as happiness. So many teenagers are depressed nowadays, but the reason they are is because there are so many lies from the world that they’re eating up. They’re being fed scams about happiness. But who told them they couldn’t be sad? Who told them something’s wrong with them just because they can’t stay happy, and why? The truth is, bad things will happen. The world wouldn’t be so broken if they didn’t. And you can’t dismiss that fact, but you can embrace it.

People are tricked into believing they failed to find happiness when really they don’t realize it won’t last. Why are we doing nothing to show people that they don’t have to be afraid to admit they aren’t happy? Why are we making them feel weak because they aren’t happy, and guilty when they are? I have gone through many storms in my life just to realize that I am happier when I enjoy the good moments and I should celebrate getting through the storms that shake me. I wish I could tell the whole world that they shouldn’t feel scared to get help or tell a friend they have a problem they really need to solve. I wish I could tell the teenagers all around the world that happiness is just a word society uses to cover up the bad days. That it’s okay to feel sad and cry. That it’s okay to need help. The highest point of my anxiety was thinking I was the only one with a problem. But no one’s ever really alone. Use your sadness as a cry for help. Use it to help others through theirs. Embracing your sadness and recognizing it is the way to healing and to help others heal.

And when you are happy, don’t let others feel bad for not feeling the same way. Share happiness and inspire others with it. Just because someone else is happy and you’re not doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. Someone else’s strength shouldn’t be your weakness, vice versa.

I am someone that loves to listen and loves to seem strong to others. But being strong doesn’t mean never being sad. In fact, being strong means you have the ability to withstand something, and a lot of the time that something is sadness. And of course there will be doubt in the hard times, but overcoming that makes you stronger. I struggle with keeping in my emotions because I feel like people will think I’m weak. But really, why should someone’s strength be based on how well they hide their emotions? I have come to realize that sharing my emotions is the foundation for building potential and getting through them.

So let’s not let the world tell anyone that it’s a crime to be sad. Because in today’s world, too many young people are falling into that trap.

Grace M