Dear Little Lost

Have you been looking all your life for what is deep and true; for what you knew from the beginning had gone missing? Maybe you couldn’t say exactly what it was. Perhaps, like me, you thought it resided in another place or with another person and you headed out as soon as you could to find it. This kind of search can take a long time, moving us down some twisted and bumpy paths as we try to make sense of the tragedies and triumphs, as we look for meaning in the chaos and hopefully, finally, discover what it takes to feel complete.

For me, there was there was no way around the search. My name guaranteed it; Purdue is based on the French verb perdre which means to be lost. Cheryl comes from cher which is also French and means dear; the yl is a feminine diminutive like elle and means small. Dear Little Lost.

I was not about to let my name and the circumstances I was born into seal my fate. I ran from and fought against the downward pull. It turned out to be a long trek, one I’ve spent the last ten years writing about as I’ve clarified the details, uncovered hidden feelings and found my way to what was real.

Each of us has a unique tale to tell and though what I write about is my own search for what got lost, maybe you will recognize experiences and themes familiar to you. Hopefully, you will be inspired to carry on with your own quest, never ceasing to pursue your truth.

About: Cheryl Purdue is a psychotherapist in Studio City, California and spends her non-office time writing, gardening and wondering what else life will bring. Her husband, dogs and the birds that feed off her flowers hope she just keeps tending to them in her earth-mother way.