Sorry guys, this is an epic story I know, but its undoubtedly the most powerful & emotional FB post Ive ever written . . . please take a moment to read it . . . theres a very strong message here for us all . . . youll definately need to put the kettle on for this one! . . . Like the song says, Reach Out & Touch Somebody . . . Around 6 - 7 months ago, one of my very dear & treasured friends (who Id prefer to remain anonymous, even though she has given me permission to share her moving story), posted a comment on FB that I thought was not in alignment with the bright, cheery lady I knew her to be. I messaged her privately & asked her to join me for coffee at 10am the next day at my place. When she arrived I was dressed up smartly & ready to go out. She was a little taken aback by this & told me she thought we were just having coffee at my home. I smiled & said no honey, SURPRISE!, were off to Versace for a high tea, champers & coffee! Its time for us to celebrate life I said. Id detected that things were a little tough for her financially (although I had NO idea just how dire on that day), so I thought a little treat would brighten her day . . . Little did I know what a huge impact I would have on her life that day. We sat back, chatted, took tea (& enjoyed a glass of bubbles!) & nibbled on our high tea delicacies like royalty & when the bill came, I scribbled on it, Paid in full by The Universe, thank you!. Quirky I know, but it works like magic . . . because within an hour, I had two bookings come through that MORE than paid for our luxurious morning indulgence! Thank you Universe . . . I knew youd shout us! This leads me to the crux of my story today . . . I told my friend that just a few years ago my own life was a train smash, a time when everything I seemed to touch just evaporated into nothing & I was left feeling like a worthless, good for nothing loser without a skerrick of talent or ability to bring to the world. Whod want some washed up nobody like me I thought? . . . At the time I knew a sum total of about 20 people here on the Coast . . . I was at the lowest point I had ever been in my life . . . I then shared with her how my great disaster actually turned out to be my greatest gift, an event that had to occur to lead me to where I am today & to be doing the magnificent work that I now do. I told my beautiful friend to just hang in there a little longer, coz sooner or later, her life would turn around for the better, MUCH better . . . Well, it certainly did. My friend married her long time boyfriend recently & life has turned 360 degrees for her. Ive watched her life flourish in recent times & am so very proud of how far she has come since her own train smash of late last year . . . Its at this point where I have just become gobsmacked & left in tears, so moved with emotion & awe . . . you see, a couple of days ago, my friend wrote a letter to me to say thank you. A letter so moving & emotional it would have to rate as the single most important letter I have ever received in my life to date. A letter to tell me that I had literally saved her life that day . . . when you read the following excerpt from it, youll know why. Its not the entire letter, but enough to help you grasp the picture of what was happening to her at the time . . . & the reason why I am sharing this with you today . . . which Ill conclude with at the end . . . This is the excerpt from my friends letter - . . . I was in big financial trouble and having problems with my son, I pretty much had a break down and I was severely depressed. I was evicted from my house because I couldnt pay the rent, could barely feed my kids, I spent weeks taking prescription pain pills so I could sleep the weeks away on the couch, NO ONE knew how bad I was, I did everything i could to hide it all but I just kept falling deeper and deeper into the hole I was in. There was a day I sat there crying my eyes out when the kids were at school trying to think of someone I could talk to to help me feel better because I was starting to get really scared I wasnt going to make it. Your face popped into my head so I think that was the point I put my distress signal out into the universe, and the universe delivered me an angel...YOU! I have tears streaming down my face right now as Im writing this because its still so painful revisiting this place in my mind where I was before you threw me a lifeline. Dave, I came so, so, so close to taking my own life, I started planning what I would want for my kids, what I would say in a suicide note, how I would do it, everything. I was just in so much pain I just couldnt take it, I just wanted to go sleep and never wake up. Now I need you to know, you absolutely saved my life...that day you spent with me at Versace and at your place just talking and sharing your story with me and showing me that people really do love me and that things will get better have given me enough hope to hang on to. You truly saved my life, I need you to know that all the joy Im experiencing right now and the beautiful moments Im having with my new husband, seeing my babies beautiful smiles and planning my future and helping others was almost lost but thanks to you I picked myself up and started over and I will forever be grateful for you in my life . . . Conclusion - My message today? NEVER EVER underestimate the power of reaching out to a friend if they dont seem their cheery ole selves to say hi & ask, are you feeling ok? If not, why not meet up for a coffee & a chat? No, you dont have to take them to Versace for a high tea, all we have to do sometimes is just SHOW UP for our friends & LISTEN to them. Seriously, you could save a life . . . it certainly sounds like I may have . . . Over these past couple of months Ive witnessed some of my dearest friends lose loved ones through suicide . . . horrific & painful beyond words . . . people who were so lost & in pain they felt they had no where to turn or worse still, felt like they had no one to turn to in their hour of most need. I have to say my darling friend (& I KNOW youll be reading this God love you!), that if theres only one thing that I have ever received validation for being on this planet for its THIS VERY LETTER of yours! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the sublime gift of your beautiful friendship honey & may the Gods forever shine their love & beauty upon you, your beautiful new hubby & your wonderful family . . . Reach Out & Touch Somebody . . . xxx
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 04:15:39 +0000