The Frozen River

“So much of the world is dark. People are cruel. And maybe Cal’s right—maybe social media has made us bolder in our cruelty. After all, it’s easier to snipe a comment from behind the allure of online anonymity. Maybe it’s eroded our sense of decency. But for all the darkness and cruelness and selfishness, that doesn’t mean there isn’t good in the world. That doesn’t mean there isn’t light to be found. The crazy thought now that is starting to creep into my consciousness—what if we are supposed to be that light. What if I am supposed to be that light?”

“The wounds, even as old as many of them are, somehow still feel heavy. It’s just so incredibly hard. Secret hurt has a way of making a person feel falsely protected—as if being the person holding the keys to the door ensures that no one can get in and nothing can get out. The problem with hiding in that hurt is that you’re stuck at that door, hand on the doorknob, every day. You don’t move forward because you’re too busy holding things back. I never want to admit those things that have kept me feeling small. I mentally take my hand off the handle that’s been keeping the hidden things at pay. And the door cracks open.”