I didn't know George that well. We were in the same yoga class, and, as we were the only males in the group, we formed a sort of loose bond.

Unlike me, he was exceptionally supple and could perform the most tortuous postures with ease. Not only that, he also radiated a Buddha-like calm, which permeated the whole room. In short, he was the star of the class.

Then one day, he disappeared. He stopped coming. Apparently, he had bipolar disorder, and had fallen into a dark, brooding depression, which had left him hopeless and housebound.

After several weeks of no news, I decided to send him a WhatsApp message – a sort of get well soon/we miss you/can I do anything to help type of message. To be honest, I didn´t expect a reply. I assumed that George would ignore my message and shun any contact with the outside world. How wrong I was. Within a few minutes, I heard the familiar ping as George's reply entered my WhatsApp account.

His message went something like this: "Thanks for contacting me. I'm afraid I won't be able to come to class because I'm not very well. Hopefully, I'll be back in class soon. I miss you all..." He then finished off the message with the most wonderful observation, which made my heart jump for joy. "By the way, I saw you the other day in the village as you walked into Café Babel - as always, you had a big smile on your face!"

When I read this my first reaction was - Really? Miserable old me with a smile on my face? Most of the time I seem to be thinking negative thoughts – yet I manage to smile. Wow!

Thank you George - thanks for seeing me, and thanks for telling me that I smile so often. You are an angel – you are whole. Get well soon.

Maya

A Moodscope member.