For some, getting out of bed is the hardest part of their day.
Sometimes, those who smile the brightest are the ones that cry themselves to sleep every night.
Sometimes, those who have a full circle of friends are the ones who feel the most alone.
Sept. 10 was National Suicide Awareness Day, and for many of us on the Loquitur staff, we felt that this is a topic that should not be given attention just one day a year.
According to SAVE, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, suicide is the second leading cause of death
for 15 to 24-year-old Americans. In the spring of 2013, Amy Bleuel of Green Bay, WI, lost her father due to suicide and decided to start a movement that would later change lives around the world.
This movement is called Project Semicolon. A semicolon is more than just a punctuation mark. When we were in grade school, we learned that a semicolon is something that is placed at the end of a sentence that the author could have ended with a period, but decided not to.
According to projectsemicolon.com, “The author is you and the sentence is your life.”
This symbol is more than just something taught by grammar school teachers. This symbolizes the fact that something that could have ended, didn’t.
For Project Semicolon, this symbol represents one goal: to believe that this is not the end but a new beginning. The movement has spread all over the world and photos of semicolon tattoos are seen on individuals and even celebrities, showing the beauty and strength that they possess.
Bleuel wrote, “Despite the wounds of a dark past I was able to rise from the ashes, proving that the best is yet to come. When my life was filled with the pain of rejection, bullying, suicide, self-injury, addiction, abuse and even rape, I kept on fighting. I didn’t have a lot of people in my corner, but the ones I did have kept me going.”
Being a college student can be difficult, emotional, stressful and challenging. We understand that college can be a tough transition. The workload can sometimes become too much to handle, the stress might seem unbearable and at times, feeling alone in a crowded classroom might put you over the edge, but suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Help is always available and no matter what happens, better days are always ahead.
The Loquitur Staff would like to remind everyone struggling with depression that they are not alone and that suicide is never the option. Your story isn’t over yet. Don’t let your sentence end.
