It was the distant echo of a scream from the past. The memory of my mom, while on the phone with what I found out was my uncle. Minutes later, through her tears, she told my grandma that my uncle, Jim was going to kill himself. Only a few minutes after that, Missouri Highway Patrol called and reported that Jim had pegged his car over 120 mph off an icy, snow covered bridge. I remember seeing the accident sight. It was at the highest point of the bridge as we walked to where the broken guard rail was. Looking over the side on the ground lying perpendicular across a set of railroad tracks rested the wrecked remains of his car. The nearby tree had his jacket hanging from a branch swaying with a light breeze.

What was so special about that scream? Why has the echo of that scream haunted me all these years? Even a bigger question, my mom and her half sister Mary never seem to really get along? You could tell by the way they acted, there seemed to be a degree of friction between them. As time past I started to put the pieces together for one inescapable conclusion.

As my life advances to the future there is one thing abundantly clear

I stand alone...