September is Suicide Awareness Month, and I am pausing my alphabet series to get into the thick of it.
I cannot count on one hand the people I have loved and known who committed suicide. It has been something that has touched my life in very profound ways, not to mention the number of people I have encountered who have attempted suicide. It’s a very heavy topic, and it hits home for me—my own children, my husband, assorted friends and family.
A few of them did not just attempt; they left this Earthly plane because the pain and the weight were far too heavy for their souls. It wrecks me each time I think of them—think of the tremendous pain they must have felt to be so desperate for it to stop that they stopped their own hearts, leaving us to go on and endure the after. Because with loss, there is always a before and an after.
And I do not want to just focus on the aftermath.
The scope of this pain reaches far beyond what any of us see on the surface. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that over 720,000 people take their own lives every single year—meaning someone is lost to suicide roughly every 40 seconds. In the United States alone, suicide remains a leading cause of death, claiming nearly 49,000 lives annually, with an estimated 2 million Americans making a suicide attempt each year. Behind every single one of those numbers is a story, a family, and a life that mattered.
I want anyone reading this to know: the grief is deep, but if you feel as if you are drowning, pause, please. Know that someone will listen, someone will bear the weight WITH you. Have a snack, take a nap, STAY another day.
For now: Justin, Clayton, Dewayne, Hunter, Carla, Jacob, Chase, and a few others I will not name… we miss you every day.
If you are reading this, YOU MATTER. You WILL be missed, and you CAN get through this dark time. Please reach out to someone who can help.
Need Help? You Are Not Alone.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. You don’t have to carry this alone.
- United States:
- Call or Text: Dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential, available 24/7, and offers support in English and Spanish.
- Text Support: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with the Crisis Text Line.
- LGBTQ+ Youth: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 to reach The Trevor Project.
- Veterans: Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
- International Resources:
- Canada: Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide Crisis Helpline.
- United Kingdom: Call 111 to reach the NHS mental health services, or call 116 123 for Samaritans.
- Australia: Call 13 11 14 for Lifeline.
- Find Help Anywhere in the World: If you are outside these areas, please visit findahelpline.com or befrienders.org to find free, confidential support in your country.
Mothersense and Miscellaneous 