Meet Dom @viededom sharing her story with us. These are her beautiful wordsđź’š

"This smile doesn’t always come naturally or bloom out of happiness and joy. This smile is sometimes used to keep my weaknesses hidden. To give the illusion that I have it all together, that everything is okay" . "I’ve mastered the art of faking it until I make it but it’s hard and I’m tired. My smile hides the pain, the fear, the insecurities. My mind is a battle field and I’m at war with this unrelenting bastard named depression . I’ve seen too many friends lose the war. I’ve had times where I have considered letting the bastard win . Waving my white flag so it could all end. It’s heavy to carry what feels like 10,000 pounds of soul crushing doubt around . How can you measure up when you can barely stand on your own two feet because this weight keeps kicking out your legs? I’m “strong” so I keep going. I smile and say “I got this” but I don’t. I’ve found my way to keep moving forward to win this fucking war but it takes work every single day. I wish we talked about it more . I wish we could have those deep meaningful conversations with perfect strangers on the street . We are all searching for that connection. To be heard, to be understood. To feel loved and a part of. Looking for someone, anyone to let us know that our life matters. That we don’t have to do this alone . If I ask you how you are I want to know how your heart is, what’s bringing you joy or what’s causing you pain . I want to know how you feel in the morning or the things you tell yourself when you’re alone . I want you to know that I see you and you are important, you are loved and I understand. Because damnit we’ve been created to love, to heal and to connect . Let’s reach out, let’s tear down the walls, remove the stigma that vulnerability is a sign of weakness and embrace that fact that it’s okay to not be okay . You never know the impact a simple gesture can have on someone’s life 🙏 - - - 📸#1 @rossoscarknight #2 @marble_rye #3 @kellytmarie