What does change mean to you? Is it something we fear, something that holds the promise of a better tomorrow, or both? On Saturday, September 6, members of Delaware County and surrounding communities will come together for the Fourth Annual Suicide Prevention Walk with the purpose of promoting hope, help, and healing – change. For us, change is hope.
Similar to last year, all participants will be welcomed to create a hope stone, which can be kept as a private reminder of individual hope, or can be shared as a valuable piece of our community Hope Garden. Participants will also be able to join together again this year for a one-mile walk through historic, downtown Delaware. Because we are embracing change, there will also be several new activities available this year, including an art table and a space for anyone interested to share their story.
As a part of the closing ceremony we will release butterflies into the sky to let go of some of the pain and grief that we have been holding on to and to send a message of love and hope out into the world. In some ways, these butterflies resemble our own lives. Each butterfly was first a caterpillar and, with time and change, is now something almost entirely new, but yet not completely different. This is change – a constant in each of our lives. We all experience different transformations throughout our lives, both negative and positive. Sometimes those transformations can be a challenge to accept and adjust to. Despite those challenges, such change can often bring hope, help, and healing into reality.
Because each of our paths and changing circumstances are unique, there is no single time frame for us to find the hope and help that will bring healing into our personal realities. The Fourth Annual Suicide Prevention Walk is a space for us to find strength and support in community and inspiration through the butterfly. Join us as we embark on this journey together – to create a community that is aware of the fear that change may bring, but open to the possibility of hope, help, and healing.
