Over the last few years, I was searching for a “thing”. One of my best friends has been doing MS bike rides for year another of my friends participates is the ASPCA walks. I wanted to find something that I could do to support my community and give back to a bigger cause. I found the Out of the Darkness walk.
They have these walks all over the place and they are arranged by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This is definitely a cause I can get behind, for so many, many reasons.
I did the walk last year for the first time and it was a beautiful experience. All the participants (and many of the volunteers) wear beads. It looks festive, like Mardi Gras, but each color means something different. You can communicate without having to have the conversation, which when you are in a bad headspace, makes it so much easier. All of the volunteers were so kind and just gentle. The stories that were given during the presentations at the beginning just made me cry. I cried a lot, actually. The good kind of cry. I have not been terribly open about my struggles and it was very hard to even be there, but I felt so supported as I hid in the back corner on the stairs quietly trying to drown the people sitting below me.
I decided I wanted to do this every year. I eventually want to volunteer, too. One step at a time, though.
Anyway, if you are interested in learning more or you want to support the Out of the Darkness walks, please follow this link.
https://afsp.donordrive.com/participant/Cecily-Shepherd-2018
A Vixen at Gloaming 