Dear Troubled Friend:

We know that you have been dealing with a lot lately. We know that you may be having overwhelming feelings of depression, anger and heartbreak. Sometimes we find ourselves in a cloud of confusion and fog where we can’t clearly see the light and we lose ourselves in thoughts that are full of rage and revenge. But know this, you are loved. You are not alone. There is an answer and a place to find the cure to your pain. All you need to do is take one step.

The last few days have been especially confusing for you, we know. Everywhere you look, the media is showing the face of a killer who acted selfishly and cowardly, the face of someone who didn’t seek help and because of it not only ruined the lives of many families, but also brought so much hurt and pain into the world. You are seeing videos of screaming High School students being terrified as the smoke of a discharging high-powered rifle billows into the classroom and all this attention to the wicked destruction from a troubled man has you thinking. Well don’t. Don’t think the answer to your pain is to share the pain with others. The answer, my friend, lies in the courage and strength to turn away from those thoughts. The answer lies in the courage to ask for help.