I finally realized I am a person of value, and even when I am feeling low, my value is still there. My life matters, and even when I am feeling badly, I matter to many, many people, some of whom aren't at all obvious to me. Those low times come and go, but my relationships will last through those lows and beyond, even beyond death. And yes, relationships have value and matter even beyond death. I also learned that what I sought in life was not happiness (I think that seeking the elusive happiness is a bit mythological -- no one is happy all the time -- life doesn't work that way). What really mattered to me was a sense of contentment and the inner peace that comes with contentment. I can be okay and content with where life takes me -- the highs and the lows, the happy times and the sad times. It is all part of the living experience.