One Step At a Time

Today I want to talk about something that's really been weighing on my heart lately:  Suicide. I'm not really sure how I'm going to go about this but I really feel like I should.  This past Friday my neighbor committed suicide.  His whole family was home; a wife two sons and a daughter that is the same age as my little brother, she is a sophomore in high school this year. 

Now I'll be honest and say I never really knew the man that well.  But it seems to me like he had a lot to live for. He had a loving wife, two strong sons that are no older then my eleven year old sister. And a daughter that is at a hard point in her life as it is.  Questions race through my mind as why he did it.  Who's going to teach these two young boys how to be men?  Who will show them how to play football?  Ride a bike?  Who will help this girl with her math when she comes home from school? Who will comfort her when she gets her heart broken?  All of these questions with no answer.  My heart breaks for this family that no longer has a father.

Last year my uncle died.  His death is unknown for sure but we believe that it was suicide.  Suicide is a huge deal across the United States and the world.  According to AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) over 36,000 people every in the United States alone die by suicide.  Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old. (AFSP) 36,000 people!! That number is huge! And the third leading cause of death among people my age.  These people are mothers, fathers, brothers, loved ones.  All of them took their own life because they said that this life wasn't worth it any more.

Well let me tell you something that will blow your mind away: It is worth it.  Yeah life sucks; everyday stuff happens to make your life miserable, trust me I know.  Life is worth living, there are people out there that love you.  Yeah so you just lost your job, or you just got a pay cut and you are having trouble paying the bills.  But is that reason enough to kill yourself? NO!  It means you have to kick it in gear, get the old train moving.  Find a new job or work harder at the job you have now to prove to your boss that you deserve that raise.  C.S Lewis once said "What saves a man is to take a step.  And another one."  To me this quote simply states: don't give up.  All you have to do is take it one step at a time.