I read a post on Reddit last night about a person who had the day of their suicide planned. The day arrived, they attended their college classes, completed a few other tasks, and went to a restaurant for a bowl of ramen – their last meal.
When presented with the bowl of ramen, they were so overcome with happiness at the smell and sight of the food that they decided not to kill themselves. They broke down crying in the restaurant and when the owner/cook asked why, they told them that they had realized that the joy in life is in small things, and his wonderful soup had just saved theirs.
September is suicide prevention month, and as I post this I urge anyone having suicidal thoughts to find one thing worth living for and reach out for help. Depression is deceiving, it bleaches the world of color and takes away not just joy – but all feelings. It hollows you out. It makes you believe there is not one thing in the world worth living for.
You never know when your bowl of ramen will be sat down in front of you – it could be 10 minutes from now – that moment when you break the surface of depression and can breathe again. It could be longer, but in that time that you wait, it is vitally important that you don’t wait alone.
Please, get help and wait with support. There are treatments that work. It just takes time. It just takes patience, and most of all it takes you not giving up on yourself. If you need help, if it’s an emergency, please call 800-273-8255 or you can chat with them here.
Cornerstone is here to provide the support you need while you wait. Together, we can get you through this. You matter. So much.
