If you or anyone you know is thinking of harming themselves, please refer to these resources and speak to someone.
- 13 Reasons Why
- US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
- The International Association for Suicide Prevention
- Befrienders Worldwide
Many of us have felt it. The terrifying darkness of feeling absolutely alone. I don't mean loneliness; that's just when there's nobody nearby just now. Feeling truly alone is different. It's when we feel there's no one to save us, to help us, to hold us - today, tomorrow, or ever. It's when we wonder if anyone would even miss us if we weren't there any more. To have no hope.
Some of us have lost loved ones to that darkness. Perhaps they didn't have enough hope to keep them afloat for one more day. We'd do anything to go back and change their fate, to give them that hope, to be there for them at that moment when they needed someone most. It's easy to look back and think that if we were aware and with them, that we could have changed things.
Those of us who have survived, we remember the darkness. Staring into that abyss and wondering if it's worth all the work and pain to stay. We can also appreciate that others will inevitably feel the same - it's part of human nature. That doesn't mean we can't fight it and save each other. To be present with someone who needs hope.
I think it's important to remember - especially with modern tech - that no matter who we are, what we love, or how we live, there is always someone out there that can relate, that understands, that could "get it", if we can just find that connection. Sometimes, that one fact may be all one needs to hang on, and if we can hang on just one more day, things can get better. So, even in a practical, statistical sense, none of us are ever truly alone.
This post is me reaching out to anyone who feels no hope, that feels alone. You're not. We're here. We're right next to you with our hands out. Take it, if just for one day, or just this moment. Say something and make that connection.
Like many things in life, it's music that has touched me and made me decide to reach out in this way. To me, music is emotion, and that includes joy, fellowship, friendship, and hope. I plan to fill this topic with the things that make me feel hopeful - music, memes, people, places, etc..
Please chime in and tell us where you're at, what you love, what gives you hope. I look forward to hearing from you.