Got to be there

It’s something that has affected people around me on more than one occasion. It’s something that we see in the news day in and day out, but sadly so many of us are becoming numb to it. It has been considered one of the most selfish acts a person can do.

I really toyed with writing about this. It’s not a pleasant topic-there won’t be any strike through comments, funny jabs, or the like. But, I keep watching the news, keep hearing the stories from people around me, and I realize that suicide is a real issue for a lot of people.

Earlier this week a little boy came home to find his mother’s body. She’d had enough and become overwhelmed so she ended her life and that of her unborn baby. Sunday, a man walked into a Detroit precinct and opened fire--his life ended that day.
Each day people deal with stresses unknown. Each day people battle their inner minds and each day some people are able to conquer those dark thoughts and make it to the next. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone.

I’m not sure how many of you all have ever had someone close to you contemplate suicide. I’m not sure how many of you are even aware of what is going on in the lives of people around you. But I do hope that each of us can take a moment, to not be so consumed in our own lives and to be unselfish enough to put our own selves aside when we see someone close to us in need. It’s amazing how I even look at myself and see that sometimes I was just “too busy” to deal with the issues of someone else. I thank God that the situation turned around but I know that if it would have ended badly, I’d regret the way I handled it.

We all need people (whether or not you want to admit it). I hope that we can all be aware of what is going on in the lives around us and that we can offer ears to hear, shoulders to lean on, tissues to catch tears, or hands to hold someone up when they really need us. This doesn’t take money, but it does take time. Let’s try to counter “the most selfish act” by being unapologetically unselfish to those that we love and care for.

Sorry for dampening the mood of the blog, but it was on my heart and hopefully it will come across the eyes of someone who needed it.