In the Middle of Many...

I received this muse in a daily scrapbook newsletter from Scrap Girls. Such a simple but profound thought.

" 'In the middle of many, every one is still important.'

Which leg is the least important? Is it the one at the very back? Or no... perhaps, the one at the far left? Or maybe it is the leg in front?

If any of these legs were not attached to that which they support, the chairs would tip over. The table would not be useful.

But, each one serves its purpose, quietly doing its job, never noticed by those who sit on the chairs, eating sandwiches from white ceramic plates supported by the tables. Maintenance cleans around them, wipes them off, and never thinks about them unless one becomes wobbly.

Each one is important in the sphere in which it exists.

When I suffered major depression during 1995-1996, the most crippling thought that ran through my head was that I didn’t matter. During that bleak time, my mind began to believe that I wouldn’t be missed, should I disappear from existence. Even worse, I thought that those around me would be better off if I were gone.
This is depression’s siren call: You do not matter. What you do does not matter. You should never have been born.

As I worked my way out of the illness, I found that I do have value and I saw that even though my existence is small in the great scheme of things, I would be missed if I hadn’t been here. Perhaps, this is why I am now so passionate about trying to make something out of my life. And, maybe that is why I long to shout from the rooftops to whoever will hear me: You are a child of God. You matter. You matter to me. You matter to everyone whose life you have or will touch. And, I pray that you matter to yourself.

So, you tell me... which of these legs are not important?

Every one is. Every single one.

- Ro"

Click here for more information on the story of her journey out of depression.