I will never forget the first time I learned what suicide was. I was in 5th grade and a young girl was explaining how her mother had passed away. It was inconceivable to me and I remember feeling completely devastated, shocked, and confused. I was just barely beginning to grasp the concept that my Mom wouldn’t be here forever, and now this? “How is that even possible?” When I look back at my childhood, I usually find it humorous – the way I thought the world was. I thought all babies came from just a kiss. I thought that police officers could hear you through the radio in your car, so I always behaved extra good. (Now that I think about it, that was probably a scare tactic form my parents). I thought that my Mom made peanut butter toast by spreading on the peanut butter and then putting it in the toaster. I could go on and on about the way I perceived the world and the way things worked when I was a child. Now that I’ve grown-up, my perception and understanding of nearly everything has changed. I understand that we don’t live forever, I know where babies come from and I learned the hard way about peanut butter toast. But I still feel the same way about suicide as I did on that playground at recess in 5th Grade; devastated, shocked, and confused. Whenever suicide enters my life through work, the news, or personally it is still inconceivable. Please read this week’s article to learn how to spot signs of suicidal behavior, what questions to ask, and where to get help. As always, MINES is here for you. |
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