I chose not to see her. Sure, I knew she existed. We shared mutual friends and grew up in the same small town. Finally, in college, our paths crossed.
When we found her, she had squeezed her small body under a pile of garbage. Her head was shoved in a broken piece of plywood. Later, we found out this is because she thinks no one will find her if her head is hidden.
It is so easy to look back on past seasons and see how they changed us, but with this so fresh, I am still processing. Thank you for your grace as I continue to vulnerably share my stories of failures and celebrations.