Hi Jamie, I had the chance to listen to the speech you gave on Thursday at Dismas House. It naturally sparked some reflections I'd like to share with you. First of all: be proud of yourself. No matter who else may be proud of you (and there are many, no doubt about it), be proud for yourself. Be proud of the journey you’ve made, of the awareness you’ve built, of the courage and willingness to share your experience, your memories, your thoughts. For making others feel seen, understood, and a little braver to face whatever comes next. This, beyond whether someone else once did the same for you. Because while it's important to be grateful to those who were there for us when we needed it most, it's just as vital to recognize that we were an active part of our own change. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Even if sharing is part of the path towards awareness and gratitude, opening up about something that cuts so deep inside eats up an incredible amount of energy. Retracing your own pain to offer acceptance and hope means, yes, reaching out a hand to those walking a similar path, but it also means being willing to face yourself again, and a pain that, instinctively, you would rather keep quiet. So, again: be proud of your courage. Everything that touches the deepest and most vulnerable parts of us — depression, addiction, all the wounds and struggles rooted in inner scars — creates invisible bonds, deeply anchored, that never completely dissolve. It demands constant presence, a steady coming back to ourselves. And it means accepting that slipping and falling are real risks, always. But precisely because of that, it also means choosing — again and again, even through the struggle — the path of awareness and self-care. And to truly care for ourselves, we need to learn how to love and forgive — even though, sometimes, it feels easier to do it for others than for ourselves. Love, emotional connection, and support are vital, just as much as building a real network of empathy, respect, and dialogue. Learning to give affection as much as to receive it. All of this can truly nourish us in a deep way when, little by little, we learn to offer it to ourselves too. Without that first breath, whatever comes from the outside risks slipping away, like water poured into a bottomless well. Without that first breath, the hunger for love will never be fully satisfied, and the fear of loneliness or of being unseen will always echo through the walls of our mind and our heart. That's why my wish for you (and also a little for me, and for anyone who has faced, is facing, or will face complicated journeys) is that you are able to be loving and welcoming toward yourself, at least as much as you know how to be toward others.
With affection, Me
