500 egg community egg hunt
3p at Lovers Lane Lake
Phase II
To meet old and new friends/family and build a close supportive, honest community
My mother built her house in '03. I had just graduated from UCF, and have lived with her on and off over the last 18 yrs. I grew to love the family behind the alley we shared. Their kids were 5 & 7 when they moved in, and I watched them grow up. I suppose I felt somewhat motherly to see they end up on the right path. This did not happen with the little boy, and I feel somewhat responsible as a teacher/therapist.
It's still shocking and hurts because he has such a sweet/kind heart but will probably be in jail for a while. The father passed away sadly, and always worked so hard to provide his family with a nice life. I always wonder if I could have done more. This egg hunt is in the father Luis's memory.
So let me start, I am in recovery sober 8 yrs(almost 9 in May), and have mental illness. I wonder if I we had talked about our similar challenges, and been honest with the son/father, would it have changed things? Especially my mental illness. As a therapist I have have helped numerous other families over the years, Why not them? The answer, I was afraid to get honest and be judged. And/Or I just didn't take the extra time to really get to know my neighbors and see if I could have helped.
People match vulnerability, and neither of us ever did. It just takes one to be brave, and magical things can happen I believe now. It's sad I had to learn this the hard way, but maybe by sharing my experience, this never has to happen again in our community. They were all so sweet and kind and I hate their family was destroyed.
I'll never know, what could have been, if only, but maybe you will never have to wonder that and learn from my experience.
I worried about appearances and looking like I had it all together which honestly we're all programmed to do. Why do we do this, when so many of us are suffering silently. Why don't we just say it and let the chips fall where they may. In my recovery program they say you can't save ur ass and ur face at the same time. I'd rather be happy and real today, instead of "looking good." It's brave to be vulnerable and I want the best for our community and to never see something like this happen again to our kids and families.
I know from experience at times these things can feel shameful, and a lot of us suffer in silence. The solution for me has been to put a voice to my challenges, rely on a higher power, and ask for help when it feels like too much. I'm 1/2 way through nursing school it often feels like that a lot :). I feel we need to share our trails and triumphs from an honest place to get better. I hope you will join me on this mission and want to build a stronger community with me. Let's meet on Easter for an egg hunt around the lake!
126 families
Immediate block-anastasia/nature coast
14
Nina/-anastasia
8
Lovers key lake/behind/our 1/2
27
Lovers key lake/behind/across
21
Outer perimeter/Anastasia
15
Outer perimeter Lakes
20
Outer perimeter back nature walk
21
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