When I was asked to post my first official Forever Kalei’s Mom blog, it was suggested I begin with the question – why am I sharing my story? When I sat down to write my mind drew a blank. Not because I did not know the answer, but because I was thrown a bit by the realization that no one ever asks me that question. Why not? I think they believe they already know the answer.

Invariably, when I tell a person I have published a book they say, “What is it about?” I usually answer, “It is a story about life, love and faith. I learned a great deal about all three after my daughter was killed in a car crash.” To a person the responses go something like this, “Do you have closure now?” or “Have you found peace now?” Or “Was the writing of it therapeutic?” Then there are the folks who respond by telling me why I shared my story. They confidently assure me, “Writing is part of the grieving process” or “Now that you completed the book you can move on.”

The interesting part is their responses have nothing to do with life, love or faith. You see, when death is mentioned, our minds automatically jump to the word grief. That is because to most people there is the perception that grief has a finite beginning and at the least, a promise of a clear and tangible end. Strangely enough, I don’t actually disagree with that perception.

The grief part associated with Kalei’s death was everything people imagine it to be and more. But I could not live that intense an existence for very long. Eventually, I had to figure out how to positively incorporate the grief part of my past into my present and future life. While that sounds simple enough, I did not have the faintest clue how to do that.

You see, my daughter’s death forced me into a life I could not have imagined. Those are not just words without substance; that kind of hit changed everything I thought I knew about, well, pretty much everything. Over the years I analyzed and documented every important aspect of my journey. Whether it was a hard fall or a moment of enlightenment, I went to great lengths to explain and present every significant lesson in a visually clear way so that everyone, even those who could not imagine the world I was talking about, could comprehend the information given.

I believe sharing my story will provide some illumination for those on their own dark and lonely unimaginable journey. I also expended a great deal of effort crafting my stories to speak to those who do not have to try and imagine so they can also share their light of understanding with those in need. This is the answer I would give if I am ever asked the question, “Why am I sharing my story?”