Throughout the day, I was continuously surprised to see who liked it. Of course there were the obvious likers - my roommates who knew about the project and my best friends from home who obligatorily like anything and everything. But I also received likes from my high school classmate’s older siblings, from underclassmen from my high school I’ve barely met, from friends from sleep away camp in 6^th grade, from friends of friends who went to our rival high school, from CMU students I’ve met in the last week… this list goes on. I was definitely not expecting such a widespread response, especially from people I don’t know well. 

Most of the comments I received on the picture were supportive and loving. I was pleased to see that it was well received – that instead of being confused or concerned by the statement I was trying to make, people reached out with encouragement. Although the picture did not explicitly identify a personal struggle of mine, admitting that I (along with everyone else) am broken in some way prompted people to express their love and care. I particularly like Megan’s comment, because she recognized that there can be non-traditional beauty in honesty and authenticity. Audrey’s comment affirms and validates my photo’s caption: “It’s okay not to be okay.”