And #2 must-have for depression

2) A rock-solid, no-questions-asked best friend.

I got lucky and ran into my best friend on a ramp in 7th grade and we've been there for each other ever since. To prove what a great friend she is, I want to quote a few things I hear from her often:

• "What?! Who said that?! I want names! I'm going to beat them up for you!"
• "Of course you're right! That other person is just an idiot."
• "I'm so impressed with you!"

Lokien always has my back, no matter how wrong I am. And to be really corny, I feel like I'm a better person because I'm friends with her.

I really admire her spontaneity and the way she isn't afraid to pursue things in life that make her happy. She recently drove 5 hours one way to go to a book signing of one of her favorite authors. And then drove the 5 hours back home in the same day because she had to be at work the next day.

But then she can also be solidly responsible, too. Even if she's up till 4am having fun and playing Phase 10, she still gets up at 6am to make a gourmet breakfast for an inn full of guests if that's what she said she would do.

And best of all, she loves me. (And it's nice that she married a guy who puts up with me, too.)

So, if you have depression, get a best friend who has stuck by your side for 16 years and still likes you enough to continue being friends with you. It's awesome.

Thanks Molybdenum! And here's to many good years, good books, and a bookstore full of cats and cooky hats ahead!