Yesterday was a tough day for us. Michael had a major backslide with the ptsd. A neighbor who recently moved in down the road has been firing guns without a backstop to stop the bullets. Subsequently we have had bullet skipping through the tree tops over the summer. Yesterday afternoon I was in the shower when I heard Michael yell. Meadow ran from our bedroom to get to Michael and I jumped out of the shower to find Mike on the phone with the police. A number of bullets hit near our home and when Michael yelled the person fired some more.

The police arrived quickly to our home-a change from when I had a car accident near home and it took them four hours to respond. Michael was visibly upset and shaking when speaking to the police. He explained about the ptsd and its affects on him. I told the police we did not have any problems prior to the new family moving in. The police said they would go talk to the neighbors. About half an hour later the police called back to say the neighbors were firing an AK-47. They were advised to stop firing in our direction and agreed to put up a backstop in the spring. Now we live in a hunting state-people hunt turkey, waterfowl, deer, etc and quite a few people do target shooting. Why a family needs an AK-47 is beyond me but to be so irresponsible as to fire without anything to stop the bullets is beyond me.

Well Michael went into a mode that included anger, fear and making sure he felt secure. I found myself screaming at him at one point which of course helped. Not really. Then I cried off and on during the evening while Michael processed what had happened. We eventually went to bed around our normal time. I don’t think Michael slept much and I was uncomfortable with some of the ways he went about to feel secure. I was worried he would have a set back that may take months to come out of. He had a setback over the summer into the fall and had recently come out of it.

When I woke up this morning Michael said he was happy I let him come to some realizations on his own. He took barely twelve hours to recover from something I thought would be months to get over. He truly has come a very long way in just three years. He forgets how much hard work he has done. I am so proud of him and how he handled everything. This afternoon I was watching the sky and could tell the sunset was going to be fun. It is so unusually warm we were outside in just T-shirt’s and jeans. We walked around our yard avoiding the lakes and ponds that appear every time it rains. We watched buzzards and a few bald eagles circle overhead. We marveled at the brown bats flying. We knew the warm weather brought them out. I wanted Michael to be outside with me to reinforce that it is ok to be in our yard. There was no shooting today so I am hoping the police scared the neighbors a little.

The photos represent the darkness and light that can be side by side so much. We both keep reaching for the light and peace. I hope Michael some day realizes how much he has come from the man who would not sit on his front porch or eat in restaurants when I first met him to now-my traveling companion, fellow birder and the best person to be by my side as we go through life.