“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ~ Gautama Buddha
Behind the personas, roles, ideology and self-identity we all express lies the individuality we all have in suffering from an incurable disease; being human. Today I spent a few hours meeting and honing the ability to advocate for suicide awareness and prevention. To say the emotive feeling of reliving the experiences in my journey, coupled with listening to those who attended with me, was cathartic is surely an understatement. It is an emotive roller coaster to go through the loss of loved ones and attempts upon my own life. I am still here, and my story is not over yet.
The image is of ink on my right arm. Those who understand, will easily recognize. It is my constant reminder to me of the journey so far and the journey ahead as a father and fellow human being.
We live in a world where candidates for our highest office are more worried about male "giftedness" than true issues we face. Where our leaders try to convey political messages through just a hashtag. I am left with a real question; is the technology and social media a reflection of the advancement or dumbing down of our society?
To be able to express our innermost selves and the intimate individual we are takes both self confidence and inner strength. I am me. You are you. And that is perfectly fine. It is when either you or I feel like there is no other choice but to remove ourselves from our world and those who care for us that a crisis is evident.
Having lived through trying to end my life has left me touched with being fully cognizant of how dark the human mind can become and how deep the ache in the human heart can delve. There is something to be said about being touched; you never really lose the mark even when its image is not visible to the outside world.
Instead of dewlling in darkness, which can easily be a familiar and falsely comfortable place, I am trying to touch others positively by expressing that there is more to look forward to than back upon. Mental health is a growing epidemic that reaches every man, woman and child. We need to amplify our concern, erase the stigma of the word "suicide", and become more aware of those around us. Before those we enjoy seeing sadly become a memory. It is my deepest goal to create a world where my child does not have to feel and experience what I have; and she has even more compassion and understanding than I could ever hope to feel.
I hope you have the strength to recognize the crisis if you face it. I hope even more that you know where to reach out to should this take place. Even more, I hope we all hold out a hand when we see another in crisis. Save this website; CrisisChat.org . Save this phone number; 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Thank you for taking the time to read this short note.
