It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn’t heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore’s stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

“Hello Eeyore,” said Pooh.

“Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet,” said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.

“We just thought we’d check in on you,” said Piglet, “because we hadn’t heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay.”

Eeyore was silent for a moment. “Am I okay?” he asked, eventually. “Well, I don’t know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That’s what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven’t bothered you. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now.”

Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“We’re sitting here with you,” said Pooh, “because we are your friends. And true friends don’t care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.”

“Oh,” said Eeyore. “Oh.” And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Eeyore felt a ‘tiny bit’ better because Pooh and Piglet were there. No more; no less.

Eeyore suffers major depression and his low episodes have lasted decades.

He’s never taken medication or seen a counselor (and he may have benefitted from this treatment). But despite that, he has friends who accept him and love him for exactly who he is.

He can be grumpy. But that’s never been a reason for his buddies not to include him in their games and adventures. He sometimes says no, but that has never stopped his friends from extending the invitation. Not once has any of the gang ever said he shouldn’t come, or they didn’t want him to come, or call him a Debbie Downer.

They just accept him for who he is and appreciate him. They take care of their friend who struggles with sadness.

The holidays can be really tough for some people. So if you know someone suffering from depression or just an emotionally draining season of life, give them a hug today. Tell them you love them just the way they are.

As Eeyore would say, “Thanks for noticin’ me.” Just a little reminder from Pooh and Piglet on how to love a friend who is going through a hard time.