Out of the Darkness Walk

As many people know, there is a student who goes to our school named Olivia Cranford. She and her family brought up the great idea to start an "Out of the Darkness" walk so people who have been affected by suicide or who are trying to show awareness can come together and share their experiences with one another while spreading kind words of encouragement and love. I personally think that this was a great opportunity to show people that their life is worth living. The number of people in the community who came together to help with this event is astounding. I first heard about this walk last year around summer time. It came up on my instagram feed and invited me to register and to attend the walk. Because I have been affected by suicide and I know others who have as well, I decided to look into the information and to register. I am so very glad that I did.

Since this was my second year attending this walk, I knew what I was going into. There were tons of tents with crafts and activities awaiting me and my friends. There was one specific tent that had different colored beads. Each color represented your relationship with suicide. As I looked around, I realized how many people have been affected by suicide. There was an opportunity to paint rocks and make posters for the Greenbelt. It was so much fun to be with my friends while writing loving phrases and comments for others to see. After we were done with our crafts and posters, there was a bead ceremony where people held their colored beads in the air. This was a real tear jerker for me because it was really eye opening to see others having something in common, even if it's about an unfortunate circumstance.

When the walk was over, which was two short laps around the trail, I had some time to think about my experience at the event. It was beautiful to see and feel the kindness all around me. The hugs, high fives, smiles, and friendly faces I saw today reminded myself that the world is not a bad place. All the time we get our faces shoved in the dirt of the news and social media, that we can barely recognize the good around us. I am truly thankful to live in a place like Carrollton that is open and accepting towards everyone.

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