I love you're courageous enough to put the real you out there. As men, so much of our culture tells us that we need to be strong, always be on point, firing on all cylinders, and never let anything get in our way.

We have to be warriors, whether we're actually fighting in a true confrontation, or we're just tackling our day-to-day issues head-on, and warriors, we are told, don't have the luxury of a day off. When shit goes south, we're supposed to man up and smack life upside the head until it gives us turf.

Fuck that. That's fine for when we're fine, but when we're not, that's the worst stance to take.

Mental health is our health, and ignoring it is like ignoring a broken arm just because it's not a broken leg and thus doesn't impair our ability to walk.

I don't know about you, but when I'm feeling overwhelmed, my instinct is to pull away from everything and everyone. I don't want to talk on the phone. I don't want to spend time in person with people. I just want to be alone so I can nurse that wound to my psyche and get back up to speed. It's incredible how many people do not understand this, no matter how much I try to explain. This is depression.

It's not chronic. It's not permanent. But it is real. It's where we all wind up, and society has ill-prepared us for how to handle it, so we either hide until it has passed, or we lash out against those around us because we can't help it, and then we feel all the worse for it, because "we should know better".

You're a badass. But you aren't an invincible badass. Pain is not weakness. Depression is not weakness. Wanting to cry your eyes out while your mother holds you isn't weakness -- no one would call us weak for splinting a broken limb, covering an open cut with a bandaid, or running a burn under cold water. Seeking a balm for wounded emotions is no different.

You are one of the most incredible, inspirational guys I know. I know what your children mean to you, I know what your wife means to you, I know what your fur babies mean to you, and I know what your family means to you. More than that, you know what they all mean to you, and you can recognize that what you're feeling now is not authentic, and is driven by other feelings. And that, my good man, is how I know you are a good man.

I hope you find peace tonight, that sleep comes fast and hard, and you are able to arise tomorrow with the slate wiped clean, as it were. But if you need to talk, I'm here. Shoot me a message on the book of faces, or drop a comment here with me tagged.

You do not have to face this alone. You are not alone. I do not leave my brothers behind.