Imagine a world where you weren’t around anymore.
This is something many people who are contemplating suicide often think about. They believe that the world would be better off without them. That everything would be all sunshine and rainbows if they no longer existed on this earth.
But now imagine this.
Imagine your mother coming into your room, expecting to see the child that they raised and nurtured, and finding that child dead. The amount of shock and horror and overwhelming sadness that would overtake her body. Her heart breaks in a way that will never heal.
Imagine your father running to her side, not knowing that in those seconds everything he knew would change. He would have one less child. You may think it’s one less mouth to feed, one less person to provide for. To your parents it’s one less person to love. One less child to watch grow and accomplish so many things in life. One less child to grow old and have a family of their own.
Imagine your brother or sister having to find out that they no longer have a sibling, that person that was supposed to be a constant rock in their life. They overthink every fight, every harsh word said in a heated moment. They wonder if you knew how much they loved you, even though you didn’t say it as much as you should have. When was the last time they hugged you? Their classmates and teachers won’t know what to say. They will try to comfort them, but their words won’t bring you back. It won’t bring back those times of the two of you laughing the night away, teasing each other in the way only siblings can.
Imagine your best friend crying in their room. They will look at the mountains of photos the two of you took together. The secrets you shared playing over and over in their mind. They will wonder if they could have stopped you. Wondering what they missed, what they could’ve done to save the person that was like family to them. They will think of all the times you said a bad thing about yourself and wish they tried harder to convince you how much you mean to them. They will be confused and hurt and unsure how to process all the information. Possibly, they would attempt to follow in your footsteps because they are unable to handle the grief of loosing you.
Imagine all the people you never got to meet.
Imagine all the great adventures you never got to have.
Imagine all the dogs you never got to pet or the roses you never got to smell.
Imagine all the benchmarks of life that will never become photos in an album.
Imagine how drastically different the lives around you would be, and not for the good.
These people would never move on. They will never accept the loss of such a unique and wonderful individual. They will think of what their last words to you were, when the last time they complimented you or shared your worth with you, or even told you that they love you.
Believe it or not, you are cared for. You are worthy of love and life. You are a beautiful individual and as cliche as it is, there is no one else like you. Of course you have your flaws, but if you didn’t you wouldn’t be human. You are amazing despite your flaws. Life may not get better, but it gets more tolerable. You learn to overcome the hardships and become a better person. You deserve to keep living and growing and seeing what else life throws at you, the good and the bad.
There is so much more to life than this moment of darkness.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
If you or someone you know are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or in the case of an emergency, call 911.
