SUICIDE   – 

SUICIDE   – 

Suicide is “the act of intentionally causing one’s own death”. Lately there have been quite a few “famous” people who have committed suicide. It is said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Oftentimes that is true. Sometimes it is not.

Personally, I have dealt with people near and dear to me committing suicide according to the definition above. Whether it be stopping their life-prolonging treatment, starving themselves, refusing any and all treatment, abusing alcohol to an extreme, or making sure they die on a specific day after knowing that they were not going to live much longer, these are all types of suicide.

I also have also known people who just couldn’t take the stress of living any longer, due to a multitude of things, so they committed suicide.

I am sure that more people than we know have seriously considered suicide. And others who have tried to kill themselves, without success.

Life is hard. That is a fact. Dealing with people is difficult. Getting and staying outside of our own head is challenging.

Suicide, no matter how it happens, is difficult for those of us who remain. But, so is the natural death of someone we care about.

I have discussed my thoughts about death in other posts and they are similar to my thoughts about suicide. All that I want for my loved ones, and all humans, is health, happiness, peace, and love. Sometimes individuals feel that the only way out is suicide. They want to be at peace. They want their pain to end. Suicide was a decision that these people made. Who am I to judge them? When it has happened to my loved ones, I have taken comfort in knowing that they are no longer in pain, whether that be physical, emotional, or both. I believe that they are in a better place. Those of us left will never forget them and will continue to love them.

No one knows everything that another person is going through. You can be there for someone but you do not know all that they are going through. What we can all do is be kind to everyone, whether we know them or not. Say something complimentary or nice to a stranger. I do this often and the smiles that I get in return are priceless. You never know whether your kind word or action will be what saves someone. Try it!

What a wonderful world this would be if we all threw kindness around like confetti.

And, IF someone you care about decides to take their own life, don’t remember them for that one act. Remember the good times, the laughs, the happy conversations, their kindness, and their love.