Giving

I have a friend who I have reached the stage of being near unable to hold a conversation with. Every interaction causes me pain, sadness and sometimes downright misery. Despite having struggled, hard, to get myself to a stage of independence where I have made myself an item of priority in my own life, and knowing that this person is a detriment to my happiness, I refuse to give up on them.
This person claims to know both depression and happiness, but would rather accept depression that refuse to continue placing conditions on their happiness. I am proud of myself every time I amn't sad, not only when I'm genuinely happy. Being able to get out of bed feels like a win when there was a time in your life when life was something you didn't feel you were able to manage. This person sees every misfortune as a crippling loss and a sign never to strive for anything, while I try to tell them that the only way you can get of these hurdles is to keep sight of the fact it is a hurdle, not a brick wall fathoms high.
This person claims to know love and to have been destroyed by it. But I know love to be the only thing that can only build you up. Knowing that I have people I care about, who's happiness is my happiness, who's achievements are my delights and who's tribulations are my opportunity to build them up is a constant reminder that I have a value and a purpose.
The worst thing about this friend of mine is that, they do not know how love should work. I love them, so I do my best to be supportive despite the fact that for months now they have done nothing but tear at my fragile happiness, that their lack of awareness of their effect on me makes me realise constantly that they do not love me, nor do they seem to know how. This person does not want my help, they practically push my friendship away and crush my emotions constantly while reminding me that if I go they have no one, guilting me into staying because I am so desperate for them to appreciate the other things they cannot see, if only to allow myself some piece of mind. Being a part of someones happiness is a gift. Being responsible for it, is a terrible pressure. Especially when nothing you can say or do will make them realise the pain it is causing you to care. The great expense to your own happiness it is to keep them just a millimetre from total misery.
But that is love, you care til it hurts, you care some more, and you sometimes have to be content with nothing in return. The fact that this person doesn't deserve your love doesn't stop you trying  to give them what they need. Even if they don't appreciate how much you are giving.