Picture this

Rewind ten years, to a person perceived as determined and driven.

Stop!

Take a moment to scratch the surface.

A purpose? No. Overworked.

Trapped. She lived a life despised.

A home? No a house; a facade presented to the World. A role expected.

Stop!

Take a moment; no need to scratch the surface.

She could no longer hide a life crumbling. Detached and broken.

Not surprising that the weight of grief plunged her into a downward spiral.

Black disabling mental illness. Misdiagnosed as Depression, but the flipside of the Bipolar Manic rush came at a devastating cost.

She lost everything.

Fast forward 21 April 2017.

A lease signed. She thought she glimpsed freedom.

Picture this.

Stop!

Take a moment to savor a woman, no longer detached or broken but reconnected with life.

A heart and soul; no longer homeless. Not dissociated from reality.

A need to scratch the surface? No.

It is clear for all to see that she is content. Reconnected with her son.

He knew she had made the right decision to leave.

He said, “This place is perfect for you. I could see you were drowning. Your head barely able to stay afloat. I didn’t want you to sink to the depths forever, never to return to me.”

For the final time.

Stop!

It’s time to linger and savour.

A woman, looking forward to life with anticipation and optimism.

She sits beyond the calm cream walls, beyond the curtains.

A glow of hope in her one bedroom, courtyard unit.

Happy, well, balanced and pursuing her lifelong passion.

Finally at peace.

She is writing …

Pauline Fountain. © 2021. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the author.