Have you ever stood by and watched someone throw his/her life away?

Standing from miles and miles and years and years away...

My niece is twenty and intelligent and introspective and beautiful and talented. She's been that way since she was quite young. Yet she chose to throw her life away. Again and again and again.

She chose to leave high school. She chose to leave home. She chose alcohol. She chose drugs. She chose theft.

She has a family standing around her wanting to help. Watching. Wondering how far she will fall. Wondering if this time she will cross that line, that line of no return.

She's faced hurt. She's faced disappointment. She's faced rejection.

And over and over again, she's wrapped herself in hurt and disappointment and rejection and deafened herself to the call of those who love her.

I learned this morning, as an afterthought, that she was arrested.

She could sing with professionals. She could write circles around authors. She has vision and she has voice.

Yet she chooses to throw it all away.

And all we can do is watch until she chooses to keep her life.