Courage to Break Free

A couple years ago I went through an extremely difficult breakup with someone I loved for 3 years, but knew it wasn’t right with. Two of my precious girlfriends gave me my “COURAGE” key, and I hardly ever took it off. In moments when I felt I couldn’t breathe, looking down at my word reminded me of the COURAGE that, I believe, God instills inside all of us if we allow Him to draw it out. Fast forward to spring of 2018, a friend of mine had suffered through a physically abusive relationship for over a year, the second boy to do this in a string of codependent behaviors. I’ve encouraged her over the years to find the courage to break free. One day, she did. I gave her the key on a day when, on her lunch break, she was sobbing in a parking lot, not knowing if she could handle staying away from him. Sometimes the people who hurt us the most are the ones we think we need. I gave her my “COURAGE” key in that moment, which she hangs on her rear view mirror as a daily reminder that she can overcome. -Carli