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Have I told you lately that I love you?
Jade MacDonald truly believed she had nothing to live for. At 23 years old, she was working day and night and lived in a tiny apartment. She was in an abusive relationship, addicted to cocaine, and had hit rock bottom. She felt unloved. One chilly October night, Jade decided that she would end her life.
She looked through a cupboard and found a loaded .22 caliber pistol, and took it to her bedroom. She looked at it, contemplating the pain she would feel before her life ended. She picked up a piece of notepaper and began to write a suicide note, but then decided it was a waste of time. She held the barrel of the gun to her head, and she was just about to pull the trigger when she heard a voice coming from behind her.
“I love you, mommy. Good night.”
Jade put the gun down and looked over her shoulder. It was her 5-year old son, Bobby. Jade smiled, and hugged him as tears rolled down her cheeks. How could she have forgotten about him? No matter how bad things were, he was always there, offering his brand of wisdom that only a child could possess. And now, without even realizing it, he had just saved her life. If he hadn’t said that to her, or done so even a minute later she would have been dead. She hugged him even tighter, as she sobbed uncontrollably.
“Why are you crying, Mommy?”
“Oh Bobby, I love you so much… sometimes I forget that you love me, I guess cause sometimes I hate myself. But you, you keep reminding me that I am loved, and you’re always here, no matter what. I’m just so lucky to have a little boy like you.”
Jade didn’t expect him to understand, but he smiled at her like she knew exactly what she meant. She knew she had to get help, for her sake, for Bobby’s sake, for everyone’s sake. She smiled as Bobby left for his bedroom, as he was humming a song they had both heard on the radio. It was Rod Stewart’s “Have I told you lately that I love you?” That song would never be the same again for Jade.
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