Cousin Kate sent me this. And the moment I saw this camellia heart it reminded me how fragile a person Charles was. My friend Chris was telling my oldest about how resilient addicts are. And that’s true. You hear the stories of what they have endured– homelessness, being run over, multiple overdoses. When they tell the stories, you can’t believe they are standing in front of you as normal looking human beings once they have found recovery.

Charles didn’t have resilience and I wish I could have shared mine with him but depression took it away. In its place he had an ultra special gift of connecting with others that was remarkable. He was simply not equipped emotionally to endure extreme hardship. He was not weak. But he was fragile.  And the fragility was part of what made him special and why he will always be missed by so many.

What is the #griefheart project?

I explain my #griefheart project here.

See all #griefhearts so far on pinterest or on this blog by #griefheart category.

Dear Heroin, I F-ing HATE you!