Some Things You Keep

After her mom's suicide, JJ Landis wanders through loneliness and pain. She knows grieving is necessary, but all she can do as a twelve-year-old is keep her sadness locked inside. She walks forward facing rejection, fear, addiction, and depression. Despite her circumstances, she collects pieces of goodness, trinkets of hope, and fragments of redemption along her path. With healing, she is eventually able to recognize these as gifts. Growth comes from letting go of the past and pain and stepping forward each day. And with growth comes the wisdom to know what to hold close and what to keep. We've all suffered; we've all rejoiced. Every one of us has been on a pilgrimage, and we are all still hiking.