6/8/2018 0 Comments You Can’t Have BothThis week, like many others, headlines shook the internet.
“Kate Spade, 55, found dead in apparent suicide.” “CNN’s Anthony Bourdain dead at 61.” And then the posting went crazy: My newsfeed is flooded with “oh my gosh I can’t believe it!” And “she had so much more life to live!”; “Gone too soon!”, and “this is devastating!”, Were amongst the most common of them all. Here’s what I don’t get. Here’s what I don’t understand. We idolize this terribly gripping and heartbreaking outcome like its fun and games until someone actually does it. Don’t get me wrong, and don’t hear what I’m not saying. Suicide is ugly, and demonic, and a curse. It’s god-awful and discriminated against no one. It’s terrifyingly hopeless and it’s real. We live in a world, where suicide is (unfortunately) a norm. Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death today. Right up there with heart disease and car accidents. And most cases.... scratch that... people, weren’t even diagnosed with a mental illness. So you can’t blame mental health anymore. 49 states saw an increase in suicide this year. 49. Out of what? 50? The odds aren’t looking good. And while the majority of states saw only about 25% of an increase (only?), some states showed more than a 50% increase over the last 12 months. Dear Jesus, help us. Here’s the thing: when we see it happen in someone’s life, rather to someone’s life, we all weep and morn. Rightfully so. We all stand flabbergasted at the hard reality that precious years of life were squandered because of overwhelming feelings. Feelings. Gosh, darn feelings. Let me help you: FEELINGS ARE FICKLE. that’s not to say they aren’t real. But science (and the Bible for that matter) have proven that feelings can be overcome. But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about the sheer indecency we have as a people to glorify suicide when it’s portrayed as entertainment- and yet gaff and be shocked when someone actually does it. If you posted about how terrible the death of someone taking their own life is/was, did you also binge watch 13 Reasons? Oh, wait, I know, I know. You were just curious. You were just educating yourself. WRONG. You’re supporting an industry standard that the taboo topics are even remotely interesting. Funny how we are all dis-interested when it does happen. We are so sickened and saddened by the sudden loss, but we don’t place value on de-glorifying the subject matter when it isn’t trending. Isn’t it interesting that we all of a sudden become aware at the value left in someone’s life when they choose to end it, but as a nation, we are all perfectly ok with ending the life of an unborn baby because of someone’s feelings. Don’t hear what I’m not saying: life matters. These are heavy and weighty subjects. But we can’t pick and choose when the subjects are weighty, and when they are not. Any disciplined person knows, it’s not about the choices made at the end of a long and hard journey that are most important. It’s the ones made in the everyday, all the time that count. So why do we presume that it doesn’t matter, when actually it DOES. PLEASE, understand I am not belittling the issue. It’s again- very real, and obviously very prevalent. Unspeakably and all-to-common. But maybe, just maybe, our hands aren’t nearly as clean as we think they are, because we continue to lift up the ideology of suicide and the unimportance of life as a culture in the everyday.
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AuthorBri is the mom to four little people, the wife to a gentle giant, and a lover of Jesus. She's figuring out the best ways to parent by trial and error, and sharing her struggles, successes, and stories with you! Archives
June 2018
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