This was originally published on February 13, 2020

So today is the 10 year anniversary of losing my father to suicide.

And there’s still an element of it for me that is shocking. I never thought that I would live on this side of an event like that.

But in 10 years, I think I’ve figured out maybe 1 or 2 more things – that most of us have something in our lives, at some point, that hits us like that.

Something that happens that we never expected,
that we never dreamed of.
And so often, that’s tragedy.
So often that’s a difficult circumstance.

It leads us to grief, pain, hopelessness.

And, you know, there’s just such a dark side to all of it.

As I was thinking about that this morning, I realized that as I sit here 10 years later (after what I thought I would never be able to get through – literally did not know how I was going to live),

there’s a huge “BUT” in the story.

I can tell you all about the pain and the hopelessness, the grief,

And the anger.
And the fear.
And the insecurity.

…BUT…

But I’m here.

And if you’re walking through something that’s hopeless,
that’s difficult,
that you don’t know how you’re going to get through…

I want you to realize that when you woke up
and you opened your eyes today,
you had a glorious opportunity that some won’t have.

And that’s just to live, and do life.
and put your feet on the ground
and walk forward and do the next thing.

That’s your opportunity, and it is amazing, and it’s incredible.

So if you’re in a place where you can’t see that,
and you don’t feel that,

Just keep going.

Just keep going, one step at a time.

Because one day you’re going to turn around
and look back and think about
how hard it was,
and how dark it was,
and you’re gonna say to yourself…

…BUT.

And then there’s the rest.

You have the opportunity to write the rest of it.

Because you’re still here
and you can.

And that’s a gift that nobody can take from you.