I am so deeply saddened every time I hear about people committing suicide, especially children. I just keep thinking what can be done to help them see their lives differently? None of us are immune from feelings of sadness or overwhelming pain and suffering but there needs to be even during the darkest times a small part of us that keeps saying just hold on. Hold on, things won’t always be this way or feel this way.

Holding on requires you to see your life not just from your point of view but also understand that you are part of a collective family unit and a social unit and if you are no longer here you leave a void that no one else can replace.

On the other end of the spectrum more and more we hear about facilities where you essentially go to end your life, on your time frame. I am of the belief, we do not choose when we arrive on this earth and we should not choose our time to leave this earth. However god does grant us free will and so we are free to exercise it any way we may wish, however never free from consequence.

What is it that causes us to give up on life? I often hear about people with such high levels of stress and trauma talk about never giving up and yet i hear about young people giving up based on such inconsequential reasons, although not inconsequential to them. So how do we explain to them, as Lise Friedman says, that ‘Life is the messy bits’. When one overcomes the messy bits of life, it builds our character and often through it’s challenges it gives us the strength and courage to keep transcending our lives.

We are here to overcome life’s trials and to know that we need not succumb to them. So how do we overcome? I feel like we naturally want to believe in someone, something with the power to help, guide, love, nurture and support us. What word you use to describe this power is up to you, spirit, consciousness, god, soul, you choose. We all need to rest when troubling times arrive and know that someone has our back, and to me god is that on which i rest.

Resting is fine, however know that we are required to learn and grow in responsibility and awareness. A relationship with god is not a one way street. We cannot always be asking and not be willing to give too! God guides, loves, supports but also requires you to heal, love, forgive, show gratitude, be helpful, kind, generous and accepting.

We can choose to give up or we can choose to stay and evolve into the person that lives the life god placed us here to live and intended for us to live. No one else can do the work you were placed on this earth to do, if you leave it remains undone, so i truly truly hope we all choose to stay.