THE HOTLINE

Sometimes things never get better no matter how hard a person tries... Well, Ivy tried hard to turn her life around for years struggling with chronic pain and depression. She was not the smartest person but she had supportive parents who encouraged her to always do her best. She also was a person of faith and that faith got her through many trials. Although she was a mediocre student she went on to college not knowing what career track she would take. Ivy eventually ended up in education and went on to become a professor. She spent practically every moment in the library in order to graduate. It did not come easy for her but she was persistent and determined to make something of her life. Ivy found a job she loved and she worked long hours during the day. But she was also her grandmother’s caretaker and she dedicated herself to her care every moment she wasn’t working. After living and caring for her grandmother for over twenty years, it was an understatement to say she was attached and loved her grandmother deeply. So she pretty much lived for three things...her grandmother, her faith and her job.

One night on her way home from work Ivy was in a car accident. This accident ended her career despite her attempts to recover and return to her job. So she focused on caring for her grandmother for the years after the accident. At least this gave her a purpose to live plus she loved taking care of her grandmother. Ivy never dated much, she was not sure why, she just focused on her family, faith and career. After all, different people take different paths in life. For years Ivy tried to overcome her injuries from her accident while caring and spending time with her grandmother. Her grandmother did live a long life despite many health problems but she passed away one June day fairly unexpectedly but thankfully peacefully. Ivy had tried to prepare herself for this day but can anyone really ever be prepared for the death of a loved one?

Ivy clung on to her faith and continued to survive by seeing her many doctors. She spent her days visiting the cemetery and struggling with chronic pain along with severe depression and anxiety. The point came when Ivy could not take the pain, stress, sadness, confusion, and feelings of hopelessness any longer. After struggling with insomnia for years, Ivy finally SNAPPED. One sleepless night she thought this is it, I need to take my situation into my own hands and find the happiness I know is on the other side, Heaven that is. But one thing was stopping her...she was always taught that you will not enter the gates of Heaven if you kill yourself. Ivy was so desperate and did not know where to turn and she did not want to bother or burden her family or friends. So she took a step she swore she would never take, she called the suicide hotline. It was 4 a.m. and on the other end of the call was a soft spoken, very understanding voice.

The name of the person on the other end of the phone was Jamie. He talked her through that dreadful night that she was the closest she ever came to taking her own life. He gave her his contact information and told her to call anytime she needed to talk. Unfortunately, the suicidal thoughts continued so she talked to Jamie on several occasions. Ivy and Jamie struck up a friendship and Ivy even started to feel a little better. She had no idea where Jamie lived, she didn’t even know if they lived in the same state. They had talked about many things, some unrelated to Ivy’s problems. As it turns out, they had common interests. One of those interests was their love of nature. Ivy loved walking in the woods and had wonderful memories of picnics with her cousins. Jamie knew from their late night talks that Ivy yearned for those joyful picnics of the past.

During one of their nightly talks Jamie disclosed that he actually only lived one hour away from Ivy’s hometown. He asked her if she would like to go on a picnic in a nearby public park. Ivy was hesitant because she did not personally know Jamie. Yes, he was very nice and he actually saved her from taking her own life on several occasions but she couldn’t help but wonder if it really was a safe thing to do. But she thought to herself “What do I have to lose anyhow since I am really only hanging on by a thread?". Even though she felt better, Ivy still preferred death over life.

When she arrived at the park on that beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon, Jamie had a picnic all prepared for their first date. Ivy never experienced anything like this before! There was delicious food along with a bottle of Merlot, which she couldn’t help but take notice of the name, it was called "Meet Cute". The flavors of the wine were plum, raspberry, black cherry and chocolate. The wine was so good and it tasted of all Ivy's favorite flavors! She was not sure if it was a coincidence or if Jamie somehow knew those were her favorite flavors. Just then he handed Ivy a card and hand written inside it said "I thought you would like this wine because when we would talk on the phone you mentioned how much you liked chocolate and raspberries. I hope we can spend some time together and enjoy the bright side of life". Ivy dreaded having to call the suicide hotline but as it turned out it not only saved her life but it also introduced her to a wonderful person who made her life happy again. Ivy was so thankful she took the chance and went on that first date with Jamie. She considered him sent from Heaven because she took care of her grandmother for all those years and now her grandmother was taking care of her.