Courage to Keep Moving

I was given a key that says ‘Courage’. I’m fifteen years old, and 5 years ago my father committed suicide. My dad’s side of the family blamed my mom and stopped talking to her, leaving me the messenger between two sides. My oldest brother, who was always a bit of a rebel anyway, completely went off the deep end. He got addicted to all kinds of drugs and just barely graduated high school. My other older brother was always very close to my dad and genuinely lost his best friend, causing him to change and not be the happy go lucky, kind brother I grew up with. My entire family fell apart, and everyone leaned on me believing that I as the youngest wasn’t as badly affected as everyone else. They were wrong. About a year and a half ago, my grandfather stopped speaking to me, my mother broke up with a guy she’d been dating for over a year and who I adored, and shortly after started dating a guy I tried to like, but despised. I was diagnosed with depression and after three months of suffering I contemplated suicide. Ultimately, my aunt saved me from a terrible decision. I started going to therapy and slowly got better. I reached out to my oldest brother and convinced him to go to rehab. My other brother and I reconnected and got as close as we used to be. I went to my grandfather’s house and we reconciled, though I still don’t know the reason he stopped talking to me in the first place. I’m now happier than I’ve been in 5 years. My aunt gave me the necklace as a gift on the anniversary of my father’s death, to remind me that with courage, I can overcome anything.