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Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.
To Write Love on Her Arms has an absolutely wonderful blog up that touches on much of what I rambled about yesterday, a blog where I pulled the title for this post from, a quote from a TED Talk by Elyn Saks. It is an older blog, not from today, but relevant.
I have sung out about TWLOHA on and off for quite some time now. About a year, actually. My sister was actively involved with them before she committed suicide. That is where I first heard about them. But I did not become involved. I was still working at scoffing at my own problems, convinced they should be pushed under the carpet with all the other unwelcome debris of my life.
When my sister died, they became suddenly and stunningly relevant. One little line in the obituary I wrote before I even had the time to process that she was dead, asking for donations to TWLOHA in lieu of flowers. One little line trying to give something back to an organization that had been such a big part of my sister's life. And suddenly they were relevant.
They provided support like nothing I had ever expected. Emails were exchanged, flowers were sent this year on the anniversary of my sisters death. All of this from a group that didn't know me. Who only wanted to do anything they could to help. It was, and still is, rather humbling.
They have really let me know people CAN make a difference.
They reach out to high schools, to college campuses. They have street teams. There are so many little ways to get involved. So many little ways to grab a hand when you need one. I am still too anxious to see proper counseling, but I get so much from working with TWLOHA in any way I can, and when I get brave enough, they have a list of resources I can utilize.
I am wearing my orange TWLOHA shirt to work today, placing information cards in my libraries, and talking to as many people as I can. I can tell my story and hope it strikes a chord with at least one other person, that they are encouraged to then talk to someone. Letting all the words that are pounding around in our heads out, all the uncertainties and unhappiness, and hearing it is not just us, does ease the pressure. It is not a permament solution, but it is the first guardrail against that desperate leap.
It is World Suicide Prevention Day, and To Write Love On Her Arms has an amazing list of resources for those who want or need them.
To Write Love on Her Arms has an absolutely wonderful blog up that touches on much of what I rambled about yesterday, a blog where I pulled the title for this post from, a quote from a TED Talk by Elyn Saks. It is an older blog, not from today, but relevant.
I have sung out about TWLOHA on and off for quite some time now. About a year, actually. My sister was actively involved with them before she committed suicide. That is where I first heard about them. But I did not become involved. I was still working at scoffing at my own problems, convinced they should be pushed under the carpet with all the other unwelcome debris of my life.
When my sister died, they became suddenly and stunningly relevant. One little line in the obituary I wrote before I even had the time to process that she was dead, asking for donations to TWLOHA in lieu of flowers. One little line trying to give something back to an organization that had been such a big part of my sister's life. And suddenly they were relevant.
They provided support like nothing I had ever expected. Emails were exchanged, flowers were sent this year on the anniversary of my sisters death. All of this from a group that didn't know me. Who only wanted to do anything they could to help. It was, and still is, rather humbling.
They have really let me know people CAN make a difference.
They reach out to high schools, to college campuses. They have street teams. There are so many little ways to get involved. So many little ways to grab a hand when you need one. I am still too anxious to see proper counseling, but I get so much from working with TWLOHA in any way I can, and when I get brave enough, they have a list of resources I can utilize.
I am wearing my orange TWLOHA shirt to work today, placing information cards in my libraries, and talking to as many people as I can. I can tell my story and hope it strikes a chord with at least one other person, that they are encouraged to then talk to someone. Letting all the words that are pounding around in our heads out, all the uncertainties and unhappiness, and hearing it is not just us, does ease the pressure. It is not a permament solution, but it is the first guardrail against that desperate leap.
It is World Suicide Prevention Day, and To Write Love On Her Arms has an amazing list of resources for those who want or need them.
