• I am alive and well
• I am alive and well
• I am alive and well
• I am alive and well
• I am alive and well

It may seem obvious that I’m alive, but, for me, it’s not necessarily a given. I’ve struggled with depression my whole live. I’ve been suicidal most of that time. I’m finally on medications that help, but I still tend to feel empty and dead inside. I want to sing. I want to dance. I want to be happy, joyous, and free. And yet, the creeping darkness threatens to overtake me. According to the Christian tradition, Jesus died on good Friday and rose to new life on Easter morning. He died once for all, and, though I’m not masochistic enough to wish an actual crucifixion upon myself, I certainly am jealous of the physical death that puts an end to the daily death I endure. I die daily on the inside, sometimes much more frequently than that, and each time, I know I can look forward to a resurrection. Death is always required prior to a resurrection. I’m grateful that each day, I get to choose to focus on the resurrection part of life rather than the dying. It can be a difficult choice to make, but it is my choice non the less.