Hey Buzznet: Tomorrow is Very Much Alive Day

Tomorrow is February 26th, and that means it is Very Much Alive Day.

For those of you who don’t know what that’s about, well…February 26th, 2005 changed my life completely. And for the past few years, I’ve set up that date as a day of celebration for myself and anyone else who wants in:

I often have to be the one to explain to my mother that my brother being depressed isn’t unique. It might be bad, it might be dangerous…but he’s not alone. So many people out there, regardless of age, social status, gender, gender orientation, sexual orientation, or color of their eyeliner, are hurting. Are struggling to make it one more minute, one more hour, one more day. We all hurt. And sometimes we get so wrapped up in our pain that we don’t look at the little things.

I survived. So did so many others. We are all very much alive.

And that’s worth celebrating if anything is.

I invite every one of you out there who has faced demons like this, even if you haven’t defeated them yet, even if you’re still struggling, to celebrate the fact that you are still here. To pull a line from Buffy’s season 5 Finale: The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it.

You’re all here. You’re all living. Many of you do more than that, attempting to raise social consciousness or help your friends through their hard times. I’ve seen you in groups here on Buzznet. You champion all kinds of causes, you give back. You are all beautiful people and need to celebrate that you are a part of this world. I don’t know most of you, but I’m glad you’re here. Even the people I have argued with, traded harsh words with. You’re all amazing and I want you to realize that.

What I am asking you all to do, everyone who has fought against something like this or been affected by someone else’s struggle (which by statistical reasoning, should be all of you), is to do the following:

Tomorrow, I’m asking you to write, somewhere on your body, in Sharpie or eyeliner or whatever, the words “VERY MUCH ALIVE.” It doesn’t have to be visible, you can be the only person who knows it’s there.

Then, take a picture and upload it to buzznet. Make sure you tag it with “very much alive.”

Then, if you wish, join the Very Much Alive group and +Group your picture to it. Maybe even where you can discuss what you went through. We are all alive and none of us should have to feel alone. We have a “global neighborhood” now. It makes it easier to realize you are not the only one who has felt like an outcast, like a lost soul. You are not the only one who’s been weighed down on by darkness. And you should celebrate the fact that you are strong enough to go on.

There is no glory in this other than the glory of knowing you can still look in the mirror, smile, and know that inside you are amazing. And that’s no small glory.