Just As I Am

Epilogue

Andrew Dawson looked at the list of names his secretary had just brought him. As he got up to refill his cup of coffee, he noticed a newspaper on the floor. He picked it up and the headline caught his eye.

"Teenage Girl Attempts Suicide"

He read the news article and when he finished, he knew just the person to talk to. After getting lost a few times, Andrew finally arrived at Penfield High School. He noticed that the school had just closed and there was a crowd of teenagers at the parking lot. How will I find Karen Waldman? He wondered.

Okay, I'll speak to the first person I see, he resolved. He saw two girls laughing and chatting. He walked up to them.

"Hey. I'm Andrew Dawson and I'm looking for Karen Waldman", Andrew said.

"Oh hey. She's right here. Aren't you that television show producer?" Paula asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am. It's a bit crowded here so what about we talk later. Call me so we'll arrange a date", Andrew told Karen.

"Okay. Sure", Karen said.

Wow! What luck! Andrew thought as he sat in his car. He knew Karen was just the person he was looking for. Statistics have shown that suicide attempts have been increasing over the past few years. When Andrew heard about that, he wanted to do something to reduce the rate at which people commit suicide. Here was a golden opportunity and he was going to miss it.

I waited impatiently for Andrew to arrive. I was with Paula. Finally, he arrived and took his seat across from me.

"Sorry I'm late. There was an emergency. Okay. Now let's talk business. I read a newspaper article about you and I was wondering if you would like to share your story", Andrew told me.

"Sure", I said.

"Karen, are you sure about that?" Karen asked.

"Yes. It's actually an answer to my prayer. I've been wanting to share my story for so long".

"Won't it be a bit difficult for you? The experience was really painful."

"Yeah, it was and I know that God will give me the strength to do this. Don't worry".

"Okay. Well, that's settled, then", Andrew said.

He was right. It was. The television show was a big hit and I got so many requests to be on many television shows. I also published a book based on my story. It brought back painful memories but I knew it as worth it.

"What do you think about this dress?' I asked Paula, pulling a blue gown out of the closet.

"To classy", Paula said and pulled out a red knee-length dress.

"Perfect. Paula, you're the best!"I gushed and gave her a hug.

After accessorizing the dress with a gold-plated belt, a pair of black strapless heels and a black purse, I got into my car with Paula. Soon, we arrived at the television studio. After my hair and makeup was done, I was ready to go on air.

"We're live on the Daigle Show with our guest, Karen Waldman. I'm your host, Andrea Nichols", Andrea said.

"Okay, Karen. Can you tell us about your book 'Just As I Am'?"

"Okay. Just As I Am is about my life, my experience. It's my story.It's about me dealing with my fears and my insecurities".

"So why did you choose the title 'Just As I Am'?"

"Because when we realize that God loves us just as we are, we don't have to change because God made everyone beautiful. In his eyes, we're all beautiful".

"So I'm guessing that this book is all about beauty?'

"No, actually not. It covers a lot of topics like bullying, drug abuse and eating disorders".

"Wow and you're so young!"

"Yeah. I've experienced so much and learnt a lot from it also".

"So, who would you recommend this book to?"

"Everyone out there. Even if you aren't facing these problems, we all need to be reminded of who we are".

"Okay, can you tell us about your experiences?"

Before I could even talk, I felt tears dripping down my cheeks. I guess Andrea noticed it because we took a break. Paula came rushing up to me as soon as we were off air.

"Karen, are you okay?" Paula asked me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine", I lied.

"You know you don't have to go through with this if you don't want to".

"Yeah, but I have to. It's not about me, it's about God".

"I understand. Let's pray", Paula said and we bowed our heads and began to pray.

After the prayer and the advertisements, we were back on air. I din't cry a lot when I told my experiences. The book became a bestseller and I got thousands of e-mails from people all around telling me about how the book impacted their lives. I'm happy ow everything turned out and how everything worked together for my good.