I believe in signs & this is one of them

November 5, 2009

The past few weeks I have been more active on the American For Suicide Prevention's page here on facebook. Out of that I have met some incredible people, have made a couple of new friends, and have been touched & haunted by those personal stories of life and death.

For those of you who don't know my brother died by suicide on August 3, 2007. Out of his personal belongings I obtained a few books of his. Not sure why he had them or where he got them but there they were. Tonight some of you heard how "defiant" my children were. Which is a whole other (comical) note in itself. On my way to bed minutes ago I see that they pushed all of the books off from the lower shelf of one of the end tables in our living room. Laughing at the little monster's work I pick up one of the books that had fallen...one of the very books my brother owned...a book of poetry. It literally fell open to this page that I will share with you now. I believe this is a sign, a message from my brother, or perhaps a message from one of the ones whose stories have touched me so deeply. Don't ignore what's in front of you...it may just be the message you were searching for.

"LIFE" ~~From the book titled "A Heap o' Livin'" by Edgar A Guest

Life is a gift to be used every day,
Not to be smothered and hidden away;
It isn't a thing to be stored in the chest
Where you gather your keepsakes and treasure your best;
It isn't a joy to be sipped now and then
And promptly put back in a dark place again.

Life is a gift that the humblest may boast of
And one that the humblest may well make the most of.
Get out and live it each hour of the day,
Wear it and use it as much as you may;
Don't keep it in niches and corners and grooves,
You'll find that in service it's beauty improves.

Thank You to my brother or one of the many who planted that sign in front of me!