You have a role to play in this universe, even if you do not know it yet. Without you, this divine clockwork would not be the same. So look after yourself. There is a reason for your existence.
Today is so important.... as is any day, but today we acknowledge the realities of suicide and its affect. For young people, suicide is the third leading cause of death -- nearly 30,000 Americans take their life every year. Whether it's depression, feeling alone, getting bullied, not being able to handle pain, or a real psychological disorder at fault for suicide .... it happens every single day to people all around us. Sometimes, we are fortunate enough to prevent, to save a life. Sometimes, we're not. People who are feeling suicidal don't have red tape across their forehead that reads: I want to die. Truth is, 99.9% of the time, you'll never be able to tell who is feeling suicidal. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT to spread love. Tell your family members, your best friends, your acquaintances, your neighbors, strangers how much they matter. While it may seem awkward to walk up to a random person on the street and say, "Hi, you matter..." they may shake it off with a weird expression, but they'll go on thinking about it all day....trust me. Even a smile.... a simple form of acknowledgment can prevent suicidal thoughts. Humans crave affection -- we all need to feel loved, we all need to know that we're important.
As I dive into a more serious note, I must explain why this awareness day isn't just like any other awareness day. Not only have I seen how much suicide affects people I deeply care about, but I have been someone who has wanted to commit suicide... I've never admitted that to anyone, until recently. It's not an easy topic for me; I don't just let anyone inside of my thoughts. But I feel it's almost my mission to reach out to others like myself. I know what it feels like to be alone, to feel like the whole world is against you and would be better if you didn't exist. When someone is in that state of mind, thoughts are racing and all you're certain of is that you want them to stop... you want the pain to stop. I was at a point in my life where I just felt so useless, so unappreciated, and so alone that I wanted to call it quits all together. If my little sister, my mom, my dad, my best friends Marina and Lauren weren't suddenly the only people on my mind at that given moment.... I would have gone through with it... I know it was God reminding me how much I would be missed by them.... Taking my life would have been selfish.. and it would have been a temporary solution. Taking your life doesn't take the pain away, it only extends it. We can't forget about the people who love us, the people that are counting on us, the life God has planned for us.... it may not seem so apparent at moments, but this world would not be the same if any of us went missing.
I have seen a 10 year old little girl cry day-after-day because her older sister was not longer here. I have seen a perfectly kept-together daughter sad on her birthday because all she wanted was her mom to be present. Suicide affects all of your loved ones. These individuals will NEVER be the same. They'll always have a hole in their heart from their loved one no longer be around.
Our life is precious....very fragile.... please please please show others you care.... please please please know that YOU matter..... if you weren't here, nothing would be the same. We're all a part of a chain reaction -- intricately molding our life and the lives around us one choice at a time.
Hold on. Be Strong. Everything will be okay..
“You need to learn to let go of whatever it is that makes you think you are not good enough. Cause that’s when you’re gonna beat this, when you learn that you matter.”
a picture of me from a moment ago... wet hair, no makeup, and my colorful heart shirt. I would never post this on Instagram as a regular selfie... why? it wouldn't be appealing. Gotta throw the patriarchy away and embrace ourselves for who we are. I love me. I am good enough.
You're good enough.
