Listen With Your Heart – Take 3

This is a post I created a few years ago. Given the heartbreaking prevalence of suicide in our society, the epidemics of loneliness, addiction, illness – all the things that may impact a person’s emotional well-being, I thought it was worth updating and repeating. If it saves one life, it will be worth feeling like Debbie Downer as I push send, again.

A few days ago, I learned a friend lost a loved one to suicide. I get it. Life can be so damn hard, and weariness and sorrow can be overwhelming even if you are only 14 or 24 or 54. I’ve read that most people don’t actually want to die; they just don’t want to be in pain anymore. Unfortunately, that decision leaves a lifetime of unanswered questions and pain for those left behind.

If you are struggling, PLEASE call a bestie, a brother, or that person in your life who will not judge and who loves you unconditionally. I’ve made that call more than once and I’ll be forever grateful to those who answered. If no one comes to mind, call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

And if you get that call, don’t offer bs platitudes. Instead, listen with your heart.

What might be helpful is saying:

I’m sorry life is so hard right now.
What can I do?
May I come over?
May I meet you somewhere?
Do you have a plan, a gun, pills?

And if you don’t get the call, know there was nothing you could have done or should have done differently.

Don’t be afraid to reach out if you know someone who’s hurting, or sad, or lonely. Check on them, send them a note or a text, pray for them. And keep doing it until their darkness lifts.

“We are all just walking each other home.”