National Suicide Prevention Week

Today wraps up the official "National Suicide Prevention Week," but I would like to pause and remind all of you that this actually a year-round effort that we should all be focused on.  We can all be there to help support, reach out and believe in the people in our lives.  Often the best thing that you can do to help a struggling friend is to connect them with help and resources.

One of the things that I like about weeks like this is that often I am made aware of different stories or songs or resources that I hadn't known about previously.  One example of that is the song "Bend Not Break" by Alex Boye.  Have you heard the song?  Here is a link to it if you'd like to check it out.

I like the messages throughout the song, but every time I have listened to it I have been drawn to the line that says, "We are not the things that we have done - we are the things that we have overcome."  Wow, so true.  And also, of course, is the fact that we need to bend without breaking.

And yet that can feel like a daunting task to someone really struggling with suicidal thoughts.  And so, again, I'd like to remind you that help is always available!

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and the Crisis Text Line is where you can text "4hope" to 741741.