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Sharing Our Stories is Sacred Work
A book review of “Accidental: Rebuilding a Life after Taking One” by David W. Peters
Sometimes we suffer a trauma that makes us feel so alone. There seems to be no support or anyone who understands, and we feel that it’s so shameful to speak of it that we just choose not to. That’s what it feels like to be an “accidental killer.”
Letting such secrets fester deep inside without ever talking about it is soul crushing, and in the Gospel of John it talks about how the truth sets us free. For me, that meant actually telling the truth. Speaking it. Bringing it to the light.
Although I prefer the word “unintentional” when it comes to causing a death that was a freak accident rather than a murder, I think it’s important that the person who caused the death use the language that best helps them process their trauma.
Make no mistake about it, unintentionally killing someone, even if not legally culpable, is very traumatic. I took a human life in a freak accident and that changed me. Part of my own humanity died along with Amelia.
I’ve written about the accident that killed my friend Amelia here:
