Helping others

September 27, 2013 ~ I remember that one week into having our son in an inpatient psych unit I assisted another mother in knowing how to request to get out of the locked unit.

The fact that I was starting to understand what it meant to be on this journey terrified me. I felt like I had waked up that morning and, without my consent, had been dropped into someone else's life. But it also gave me a purpose - I could help someone else who was behind me on the path.

Look behind you. Is there someone that could use your help?

When she joined me on the elevator and both of us were in tears (the tears happened every night after visiting hours) I told her that leaving never got easier, but to hang on to the knowledge that her child was in the right place and she was doing the right thing.

I'm so thankful for the moms ahead of me on the journey who have shared their wisdom, validated my anger and fear, and showed me that ordinary miracles happen and are worth celebrating. And I'm grateful that I can turn around on the path and extend that blessing to others.