We had Only Just Begun
We Do Therapy Thursdays. It is always a surprise! Even to us.
When I wrote the first draft of Brave, I wrote a poem to include at the end of the book. I removed the poem before the final draft was sent to the publisher because it felt more like a hope for the future than the truth of where we were. That was almost eight years ago. I remembered the poem tonight and went searching for it. When I read it to Scott, he agreed that it felt like we had reached this point now but we had no idea how far we had to go when I wrote it.
We had only just begun.
The Ending of Brave
My healed self climbed on Jeannie’s bike to fly over the rainbow with the bluebirds. there were new worlds to explore. Scott found his long-forgotten bike and pedaled after me with anticipation for what we would do together. We had survived a mental-health and life tsunami and were on our way. We smiled knowing we had never given up on each other.
Pausing to wave back to Dr. Sue, I said, “Thank you for helping my troubles melt like lemon drops. You will be with me wherever I go. Our story will never end because healing lasts forever—generation after generation. Everyone I help will be because of what you did for me. I will be back to tell you about my adventures—and if I ever need help, I promise to ask.”
She smiled and waved.
As we pedaled out of sight, I heard God say, “Well done.”
The poem that originally ended the book—with the years updated from 37 to 45. This is make more sense if you have read Brave! It is an audiobook now!
Scott and Janyne
Did we know?
Could we say?
What called us to a vow?
Staying through [45] years till now.
First it was you,
Then it was me too.
We stood and fell,
But never truth could tell.
“I will take care of you.”
“And me, you too.”
We were both hiding pain,
Living normal but barely sane.
I fought for our life,
You fought for your wife.
We loved those who joined us,
And built what we lacked—trust.
Then, the day I said “Which one?”
I was driving home in the setting sun.
“There are three of me,” I said to him.
The air around me grew so thin!
“That makes sense,” he calmly said.
And then I knew, since the day we wed,
The thick and thin vow,
Was surely going to be tested now.
“We will get through this”
True healing our only wish.
I fell, he fell, and then we stood again,
We kept our vow of thick and thin.
The tears we cried,
All the days we tried.
To just hold on and see the other,
To be one another’s shoulder.
We know the truth,
Have nothing left to prove.
We made it through,
Just in time to start anew.
It is true that the publication of Brave launched us into a new life. It has been unexpected and sometimes difficult to navigate as we both continued to heal. The ending of Brave was more of a snapshot of the end of the beginning.
We had only just begun.
Beautiful poem ❤️