Dear Susan
Today my forest is dark and cloudy.
I am sad and my eyes are wet. My family didn’t call or visit. It’s getting lonely in here. Am I really alone now? I can’t be. Help Me!
xxx
Dear Susan
Today was wonderful. I was picked to talk to the group about my profession. I was so nervous and excited. Talking about it made me realise that I am capable of anything.
Also my husband came to visit. He didn’t bring the kids but he did bring me a rose. We walked across the green grass with his hand in mine and it felt like when we were still teenagers. I fell in love with him all over again.
We talked about so many and he kissed me fully on the lips. That was magnificent. As if I was experiencing it for the first time again.
I told him about you and he said he wish to meet you, we laughed at that too. Next time he said he’ll bring the kids along.
xxx
“Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to the circle. My name is Beth and here we all are just friends in need of help. We will start from this angle (pointing to her right) and move all the way to here (pointing to her left). Each one of you will begin by introducing yourself. There is a reason you’re here and you can help someone in this room with your personal experience. Oh, and please be honest and realistic,” the psychologist said.
“You may start,” she pointed to the first lady on her right. Her name was Candace.
“Hello everyone and thank you Beth. It’s not easy being me but every day I manage. I am here because I need help with my suicidal thoughts…”
‘Freak Candice’ I thought in my head.
“…but I am not my condition. I am Candice Linn. But everyone calls me Candy,” everyone
claps.
“Okay up next Patricia,” Beth said nodding towards Patricia.
“Hello everyone my name is Patricia and I am a drug addict. It started off…”
“frea….” I said, starting to mentally judge her.
“It may seem like I am weak for choosing to do this to myself. But I was once a woman with a dream. A woman with lots of potential. But it only took one cowardly move and now I regret it for the rest my life. I lost a loving family and dearest friends because I was out of control. My body was in one place while my mind was on another. I was cooking one night and left the stove unattended because I needed a quick fix. My kids were playing upstairs and my husband just got off work. The house went up in flames, while I was busy ‘catching a breath.’ By the time I gained the concept that my house was on fire, the smoke was everywhere, and there was nothing anyone could’ve done. I lost my husband, Terry, and my two children, Teryn and Patren. From that day on I saw myself as the devil’s helper. A slave to drugs,” Patricia said while crying.
Dear Susy
The only “freak” in this place is me. A freak for name calling people without knowing their stories. Everyone has their story to tell and sometimes we as humans are too fast to judge them, instead of trying to understand them.
I have learned a lot in this place and it made me appreciate the little things. Because it is the little things that matter most in life
Oh, there is good news – I’m going home today!
Goodbye Susy.
Learn people’s stories before you judge.
Tell us: What did you think about the story?