"7-14-2016"

#PokemonGO: It was a simple request. “Mom, can the car be red?” Yes the car was red. Yes she could have ice cream. Yes the Wii was still hooked up. Simple requests to most, but huge milestones to me. 2016 was a tough year. My daughter, only 9 at the time, attempted to take her own life. Bullying was unbearable at her suburban elementary school, and her teachers did little to stop it. Her attempt on her life was followed by a car accident. Our car was totaled. I spent the days car shopping, twice daily visits to the hospital an hour away, and attempting to balance work and a relationship. I was overwhelmed.After her release from the hospital, my daughter received 4-hour therapy sessions at home. Sessions in which a counselor would come in and help my daughter practice her coping skills in daily life. Plus, this gave me a chance to breathe. Every single day since I found her, I worried about her safety. I slept little, ate less, and moved solely on autopilot. It was a nightmare I kept trying to wake up from. The counselor gave me a breath. Then two. Then three. Slowly, over a couple of months, we were able to transition our sessions out of the home.Enter Pokémon Go. Our counselor and hero introduced us to Pokémon Go a week after its release. She would take my daughter and I outside to walk around and catch these silly digital monsters. My bond with my daughter became stronger, and her confidence bloomed. Over time, we found a small community of people that were doing the same thing we were doing. It was fun. I had no idea the effects this game would have on my daughter’s life, and mine.My daughter lost interest in the game itself, and migrated to games like Minecraft and heaven only knows what else. I ended up completely hooked on the game. I had to collect each and every digital monster possible. It was a way to take my mind off of life’s stressors and relax after a tough day at work. This is where my life changed. At this moment.We have a local park that is home to many gyms and pokestops. It’s a Pokémon trainer’s paradise. There was a group of trainers that went all out to celebrate community days (a boosted spawn day of a certain Pokémon that would have a special attack move and possible different color-shiny variant). The game suddenly became social for me. As a person with crippling anxiety and in a (at the time) terrible relationship coupled with deep depression, Pokémon kept me going. It kept my family going. I attended these community days, took pictures with a giant snorlax, and met countless trainers. My confidence grew. Holy moly did it grow.Fast forward to 2019, I was a part of a great group of friends and had collected hundreds of different Pokémon (shinies included!). My daughter, who could now look me in the eye, was a pre-teen. I had graduated college with my MEd. The last step was to get rid of the heaviness that held me down. I broke up with my boyfriend of nearly 9 years. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as I expected. My newfound freedom allowed me more confidence, and I went to parties with friends I trusted. My daughter was thriving. Life was GOOD.September 2019, I decided I was ready to start dating again. That I really had my life together and I was past most of my insecurities. My daughter had grown in her confidence (and in her sass). I won’t say which site, but I joined a dating site for a month. After about 2 weeks of prospects that were not at all promising, I was ready to give up. Until one day. I checked the site so I could delete bots and get the little red notifications to go away. The man that “liked” me caught my eye, and made me laugh with his profile. I messaged him.A month or so into our dating relationship, he mentioned that I ended up on his “crossed paths with” list. As irony would have it, I had gone within a half mile of his house to catch a rare Unown. Had I not played the game, I would have likely never crossed paths with him. Spoiler alert. I still have the Unown-and the man. I have never been happier. He understands my love of the game, as he plays too. He has become my best friend and my biggest supporter. He treats me with respect and is respectfully affectionate. I have fallen hard for him, and cannot imagine my life without him.Pokémon Go saved my daughter. It saved me. It gave me the confidence to break away from a negative situation. I was able to find peace, happiness, and my best friend. If it wasn’t for this game, I have no idea where I would be. To me, Pokémon Go is way more than a game. via /r/pokemongo https://ift.tt/2t9pbJi