I live in a community with rich outreach and efforts to bring awareness to various philanthropic organizations. While some are more widely known and publicized, I am proud to see new ones emerge and take a stronghold in our community. This past fall, I had the great privilege to walk alongside dear friends at the Out of the Darkness event. It is an event and community outreach to bring awareness to and prevention of suicide. Suicide is a topic that is often shoved into a corner and considered to have a dark cloud hovering over it. While it is not an easy topic to talk about, it always deserves a voice. Last year’s event was my first time attending my local Out of the Darkness event. I felt deep in my heart that I should go to support a friend, the cause, and my community. I had no idea what to expect. I did not know what kind of an impact spending a few hours in the presence of people who were grieving a loss and putting out a plea to keep others from feeling the same pain they were feeling would have on me. Personal stories were shared, and tears were shed. I stood there and could not even begin to imagine the emotions some people were feeling. As the ceremony took place, I observed. I observed what universal grief looked like. I observed what healing could do in the beginning stages to mend hearts. I observed a community making a commitment to be there for a cry for help to be heard. It did not matter that I did not have a personal tie to being affected by suicide. A prerequisite to attending such an event or raising awareness does not have to include a direct tie to suicide. What is required though, is an open heart that can empathize with the pain and struggle that comes with processing a loss to suicide. It matters to me because no one should feel such a feeling that they are not good enough to continue living or that life has gotten too hard to push through. Feeling lonely in this world should not be an occurrence, but unfortunately for some people, the pressures of the world were too much to bear. Bullies and failures, alike, add negativity to the world, and someone is on the receiving end of those repercussions. It does not make sense to me, but it does not have to. Suicide is a real thing, and now more than ever we need to come together to be the voice for those who have not found the strength yet. Mental health awareness and advocacy are essential. Organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are crucial to the recognition of the validity of such issues. Mental health is an underfunded and vastly undermentioned topic in our society. We owe it to ourselves to practice good mental health in taking time out for self-care and ensuring we understand the warning signs of self-harm in others. We are capable of being there for someone in their darkest hour and helping them through it to see lighter times. It is about time we stop the stigma, end the shaming, and begin shedding light and giving support to people struggling with mental illnesses. I have asked a couple of friends to share their perspective on this crucial matter. Reid’s Story Kellyann’s Story As you can see, we all may have different reasons for supporting suicide prevention and spreading advocacy efforts, but when it is all said and done, we are working towards a day that does not include suicide having its place in society. Too often, we turn a blind eye because it does not affect us or because we do not understand it, but that is the precise reason we need to start talking about it. By talking about it, we are showing we care. By showing we care, it lets the people whom we love to know they have someone on their side. Until even the faintest of cries of help are heard, suicide awareness and prevention will always have a place in societal discussions. Choose to keep going; you are not alone. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2018
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