She's Got Brass Balls

And now, the first winner of our Brass Balls award has one to show it off to the world.  This award recognizes "an exemplary post that took an amazing amount of guts to not only type out but put out there for the world to see".   When we introduced this award I wrote "There are plenty of people looking for attention through drama...but you can sense real from a mile off."  It actually smacks you across the face and leaves you stunned.  You feel the person's experience seep into you and it leaves you changed.

The first recipient is this post on Band Back Together titled "That Which is Left Behind, That Which Must be Said" by Guilty Squid. In her post she discusses the devastating loss of father's suicide, the isolation she felt because of it, and the taboo nature of suicide: 

"Suicide is a topic that no one wants to be connected to. People don’t want to talk about it. They can’t hear about it. They don’t want to comfort you because they don’t know how. It’s not something that they want to believe can happen to you. They don’t know what to say. They don’t have the answers either, and that makes it difficult for them."

Honest and raw, Guilty Squid confronts her past and a subject very few will discuss.  I encourage you to read the post in its entirety, as the point was to not only help others who have been in this situation, but to encourage those who may be on the brink to get help. 

Guilty Squid, this award is given to you for the touching, honest and helpful way your piece was written.  May it help others the way you intended.