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Giving back becomes contagious

sherry
Sherry with her recovery car

Sherry had just celebrated a year in recovery and had just 3 more weeks of school in Charlottesville before she graduated. But her car died permanently and she had no transportation from Richmond to her classes.

She had gone back to school so she could earn a better living to sufficiently support her three children. As a single mother, that was not possible at a minimum wage job. So that car was critical to her being able to achieve that goal.

Despite all her hard work and perseverance, it looked as though her dream of graduating would evaporate with just weeks to go. So close.

But then something wonderful happened. My neighbor Meg saw that we sold our car for a hug to someone in recovery and she and her husband decided to do the same — pay it forward to someone who needed a break. Was it perfect? No. But it was good enough to carry her to class and final exams and serve as transportation. Mechanically it was in good shape.

It saved her from losing all she had worked so hard to achieve.

Sherry is enormously grateful. I’m grateful. Thank you Rob and Meg for paying it forward.

Published by

Anne Moss Rogers

I am an emotionally naked mental health speaker, and author of the Book, Diary of a Broken Mind and co-author with Kim O'Brien PhD, LICSW of Emotionally Naked: A Teacher's Guide to Preventing Suicide and Recognizing Students at Risk. I raised two boys, Richard and Charles, and lost my younger son, Charles to addiction and suicide on June 5, 2015. I help people foster a culture of connection to prevent suicide, reduce substance misuse and find life after loss. My motivational mental health keynotes, training and workshop topics include suicide prevention, addiction, mental illness, anxiety, coping strategies/resilience, and grief. As talented and funny as Charles was, letting other people know they matter was his greatest gift. And now the legacy I try and carry forward in my son's memory. Mental Health Speakers Website. Trained in ASIST and trainer for the evidence-based 4-hour training for everyone called safeTALK.

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