Tomorrow, World Suicide Prevention Day, I fly to Nashville, TN to begin my jammed pack time with friends. I will be attending an event for the Music City American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on Thursday evening, Friday I will celebrate Homecoming with Harpeth High School, Saturday WE WALK, and Sunday we celebrate the St. Louis Cardinals at Bush Stadium. Who knows what Mon-Wed will have in store yet. Thursday I will return home, where I begin to prepare for Jared's High School here on island to recognize Suicide Prevention Week. I am not sure what all I will be doing yet but I will be involved.
This will be the first time I have not flown with Jared in years. Even for his services in June/July he was physically with us. Now tomorrow, I am solo. I can't say alone because that simply isn't true. It is solo. Yet, I am OK with that. Not sure why but I am. Maybe because he will be there with me. He is working miracles every day. I have seen 30 new likes on our Facebook page today, and increase in following on Instagram and Twitter today. Donations of almost $500 today alone came into the AFSP site, and and increase in people signing up to walk with us. I know that things will be emotionally healing for me when I am in Tennessee.
I have had a headache all day, I put it off to mowing the yard and just having allergies....but that isn't it. Today I didn't talk to Jared while mowing, I was focused on mental checklists for traveling. I probably need to have an all out break down cry fest and release pressure. But, it will come when it is supposed to.
The last time I flew solo was in 1988 from St. Louis to Sydney, Australia. I had the honor of performing in the Opening Ceremony of the World's Fair. It also was my Freshman year of college and an empowering experience. I didn't know anyone who would be traveling so, make new friends it is. While those friendships have faded...probably because we didn't have Facebook then, the experiences have not. We all grew up, went to college, and began families/lives outside of high school.
Well tomorrow I feel much of that will happen again. I will have life experiences. I will see many seniors I have watched grow since they were 3 years old, and at the end of the year they too will travel off to college, military or other and I may or may not be able to keep up with them. I will watch them begin families and some raise children they have already had, and think....what if? But all the while I will be happy for them. Praying for them to have all the best life could possibly give to them.
I often told Jared that if he wasn't really sure what he wanted to do he should get a job on a cruise ship. He loved to cruise, travel the World, and get paid at the same time. I would tell any young person the same. Get out experience life....then settle down. There is plenty of time for life to happen.
I hope you all take a moment tomorrow to light a candle or remember someone you have lost to suicide. If you struggle yourself, remember to ask for help and YOU ARE A KEEPER!
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