Once, there was a little girl named Sam. I was not quite a teenager, so some of my feelings were probably due to hormones in the early stages of puberty. But I was sad, quite frequently.
I had a wonderful life. I had two parents who were happily married and argued infrequently. I had beautiful sisters, inside and out. My whole family loved me. My childhood was coveted by the children who witnessed the bond my family has; a bond so powerful it could not be found elsewhere. I had no apparent reason to be sad. But sometimes I was miserable.
I cried myself to sleep each night, drifting off to my favorite CD, believing I could not be heard weeping. But every night, there was a soft knock on the door and a sweet little voice asking me if I was okay. I was not. But there was nothing that sweet little girl at my door could do to help me. Or so I thought.
I made good grades; I had friends, and on the outside I seemed like a perfectly normal twelve year old girl. Except for the fact that I did not often smile. That didn’t go unnoticed by my teachers or my parents. My little sister, Jessica, noticed this before anyone else, because she is my best friend, and we spent the most time together.
I once thought that my little sister could not help me with my pain. I was most certainly wrong. Jessica cheered me up when we played with dolls, climbed trees, ran together through the woods, and invented new games. Jessica not only made me smile. She made me laugh.
Jessica was also a very good listener. I could not explain the sadness inside me, and at the time no one was equipped to really do anything about it. But trying to explain it, and having someone to share the pain with worked wonders.
Jessica brought happiness to me in my time of great need, sharing precious moments and beginning my healing. Jessica’s love and devotion sent me out of my dark place and began steering me into the light. There was no longer a shortage of smiles.
Jessica has since grown up and launched a career helping people with similar problems like my own. She is one of my strongest, bravest, kindest heroes. I am so blessed to have Jessica in my life.
—SJB
*Depression cannot be cured, but it can be treated. The best way to speed up that process is to heighten the presence of endorphins in your brain. Laughing can make that happen. One person cannot be held responsible for curing another of her illness, but it certainly helps to feel understood and to have someone lend an ear. A small gesture can go a long way. A little person can make a big difference.