'But I Didn't Die'

A few weeks ago, WriteOn Joliet charter member Duanne Walton shared a piece he'd written that most people around the table felt was very relatable.

In that piece, Duanne shared a series of hard times that had befallen him over the years and ended each anecdote with the refrain, "But I didn't die."

Since mid-2021, our families have experienced an seemingly unending, unbroken line of challenges that have included numerous health emergencies and deaths.

The latest for me, was a back injury along with the almost simultaneous death of our black cat Midnight.

After ten blurry days of some really horrible pain on top of a very full work and life schedule, I remembered Duanne's piece one night and shouted at the mirror, "But I didn't die!"

Some Tylenol is finally mitigating some of the back pain (from PAIN to pain), and I'm figuring out how to squeeze another doctor's appointment into this week without using a sick day (I have two others already and this week is very, very full).

And I'm repeating, "But I didn't die," quite a bit.

Maybe Duanne's refrain will help you, too, if you're experiencing some tough times. And if not, tuck the thought away somewhere for when those tough times show up.

Thank you, Duanne, for sharing such a great piece - and great insight.

Happy Monday!