Widow’s Den w/ Monica Lucia: Stay One More Day
- Uncategorized
Introduction:
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and this is close to my heart. If you’ve ever been in that dark place, you know the truth—when you take your life, you don’t end the pain, you transfer it to someone else. Let me share a story about Lisa, a girl who almost gave up, but chose instead to whisper to herself, “Stay one more day.” Her story is a reminder that even when it feels impossible, tomorrow can hold healing, hope, and answers we can’t see today.
Lisa sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the clock as it ticked past midnight. The silence in her room felt heavy, like it had swallowed up every bit of light. Her thoughts whispered dark lies: No one would notice if you weren’t here. This pain never ends.
But then, another voice—quiet, almost fragile—rose inside her. It was something she had read once: When you kill yourself, you don’t end the pain. You transfer it to someone else. She imagined her mother, her best friend, her son. Their faces flashed before her eyes, and with a shaky breath she whispered, “Stay… just one more day.”
It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was a lifeline. She promised herself that for today, she would stay. Tomorrow, she will decide again.
The next morning, sunlight broke through her blinds. Lisa felt the heaviness still clinging to her chest, but she also felt a spark—small, but real. She made herself coffee, opened her Bible, and prayed, “God, if You’re there, please help me stay.” She cried, but the tears felt different. They weren’t only sadness; they carried release.
That day, she texted her best friend back instead of ignoring her. She walked outside, letting the sun warm her skin. She noticed how the breeze stirred the leaves, like a gentle reminder that life was still moving. And that night, when the darkness pressed in again, she repeated the words: “Stay one more day.”
Days turned into weeks. Some were harder than others, but every morning she chose to stay. Each time she prayed, she felt a little stronger. She started journaling, pouring her pain onto paper; writing was a release that allowed her to keep going instead of carrying it alone. She found a counselor who listened without judgment. And slowly, Lisa began to see something she hadn’t in a long time—hope.
Time went by, and Lisa sat at the same window where she once wondered if she could go on. This time, she was smiling. Her son ran across the yard chasing the cat, and her heart swelled with gratitude. She thought about how close she had come to missing this moment—the laughter, the love, the healing.
“Thank You, God,” she whispered. “Thank You for helping me stay.”
Lisa knew life would always bring challenges, but she also knew something even greater: she could face them one day at a time. Every morning, she still whispered her mantra, not as a desperate plea but as a powerful promise—Stay one more day… every day.
And she did.
This story is written as a reminder of the quiet strength it takes to say, “Stay one more day… every day.” It is for anyone who has ever felt that weight pressing in. Lisa’s story—fictional, yet very real in spirit—is how a single choice, repeated day after day, brought her from despair to hope, and back into the light like the star she is, full of life shining bright.
Please: Help is available. The Crisis Lifeline is – call/text 988
Monica Lucia is the Author of The Final Chapter and a passionate advocate for those navigating grief and loss. She is the Founder of Widow’s Den and Sisterhood of LKN, dedicated to supporting families In addition to her writing and community-building work, Monica is the Grief and Bereavement Counselor at Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home, Huntersville and Denver.
