Lets Leave Sparkle Wherever We Go

In wake of the passing of Kate Spade yesterday, I think many of felt a huge shock, loss and huge eye opening of a beloved designer, visionary and creator who lost her battle with mental illness. I personally have never owned a handbag but that doesn't mean I dont adore her style, her bold colors, her touch of brightness and sparkle that she wanted to share with the woman around her all over the world.
I recently had a friend of mine from middle school take her own life a few weeks ago and it truly shook me. Though I obviously never knew Kate Spade, suicide and mental illness is something that should be talked about. My friend had always shared openly about her depression, her dark thoughts and how she was seeking help. But let's be clear here...

Mental Illness is a disease. It's your thoughts controlling you. There are times in my life or I'm sure in your life too, where you felt helpless. You may not be able to get out of bed. You feel as if the entire world is crashing down before you. So what can you do in that situation?
Talk to someone. My guiding grace was talking to my boyfriend at the time, talking to friends, talking to family members. I went and sought out help by professionals. I'm not saying that Kate Spade didn't do any of these things because we truly don't know..and that's just it.
We don't know what others are going through. We don't know the pain. We don't know what mind games their are hearing or thinking or going through.
Try not to judge. Try not to put yourself in their shoes because no one can. All we can do is be kind to everyone. Be there for them. Listen. Encourage. Help in any way you can.
Here's my thought for you today. How can you spread sparkle wherever you go? You can pay it forward to a stranger. You can smile at someone. You can call a friend to check up on them. You can tell someone you love the. Spread your sparkle.