Reasons to Live

I've been thinking a lot about a handful of people I know who either have tried to kill themselves, have thought about killing themselves, know someone who took his or her own life, or wallow in the dull, gray pit of depression, either sometimes or all the time. For me, from me, this is for you.

Reasons to Live

1. I promise there is at least one person who loves you so much that the shock of your death would cause that person to vomit enough to need to go to the ER.

2. If you have an internet presence, and most of us do these days, somebody who you've never met before reads your posts. You have an effect on the life of a stranger.

3. Businesses you regularly patronize have staff who would wonder where their regular customer went.

4. There are people in your life who love you and who you can trust. If you are reading this, I am one of those people. I love you. And I promise that if you ever choose to confide in me, I will walk with you when I can, not judge you, and continue to let you know that I love you.

5. There is no such thing as good or bad, right or wrong when it comes to being a certain way. Those terms are subjective and dependent on one's sociocultural environment, on a micro and macro scale. I know that letting go of labels foisted upon us by others isn't easy, but we can do it.

6. Everybody has insecurities of some sort. People who don't are lying or in denial. You are not alone.

7. If we ever need to admit that something is wrong, hopefully we find an army of friends and family willing to be there with us. And if that is not the case, all you really need is one, maybe two people.

8. If you die now, you'll miss out on years of possibility.

9. Take a deep breath or 10. Put some rocks in your pockets (trust me, it helps). Find one good thing that happened in the last week. Focus on that good feeling.

If you need to seek help, it is okay to ask someone to help you with that. Chances are that person will be glad you asked.

If you or anybody you know needs counselling, I have a handful of contacts scattered across Alberta (and a great resource base to draw from) and a couple in Saskatchewan. My e-mail address is jbarrett@sasktel.net

I am also certified in Grief Support, if you would like somebody to walk that path with you.