One Year Ago Today

Letting go of the things that are weighing us down is key to recovering one's joy. I’ve been working on getting through a certain sadness for almost a year now and I believe I have made a breakthrough.

I’ve mentioned before that my daughters and I were in a pretty horrific accident. It was a year ago today, but it sometimes seems like yesterday, or even a moment ago. Reliving that man’s suicide when he walked in front of our car (while I was driving almost 65 mph, in the dark, on a major highway) is a difficult thing to NOT do, but I realized I have been making it worse by carrying around a constant reminder of it.

The other night I was cleaning out my big ol’ purse, and there they were, the photos of my car we took at the junk yard, wrapped in a copy of the police report. I’ve been lugging those things around for a year, everywhere I went. I rarely looked at them, but still, there they were, like the proverbial monkey on my back and I didn’t even realize it! *slaps forehead* I made the conscious decision right then and there, even announced to my daughters that it’s time I put them away, let it go now. So although my daughters and I are trying to move past the tragedy, we will never forget that night. Another person's choice to die will forever be a part of our lives, but we can't let it ruin it.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please, seek help, 1-800-SUICIDE, that's 1-800-784-2433. Killing yourself may end your pain, but it only creates more for those left behind.