YES, IT’S OKAY

by Gideon L. Daganio

A friend once told me she was thinking of committing suicide.

I told her it’s okay.

Her eyes turned as big as saucers, so I explained a little more.

It’s okay to sometimes think of dying because for some people (not just the emo ones), it gives them a sort of relief from their pain. Because when we think of death, we tend to dwell and ponder on the things that we love and cherish the most. And with it comes the realization that life is too precious to let go so easily. And especially when we start thinking of the people — no matter how few — who still care for us or who still need us, we suddenly realize that killing one self is an act of selfishness. We just want to end our own suffering with no thought about the people who will be hurt if we’re gone.

So in the end, after thinking about ending one’s own life and then realizing how selfish an act it is, life takes on a new meaning. Whereas before we only saw the black nimbus clouds hovering above us, now we also notice the little glimmer of light peeking from behind those clouds. And before we know it, we are now smiling and whispering to ourselves, ‘I want to live. Life is beautiful and worth living because there are still people who need me and love me.’

So, cheer up!

Dum spiro, spero. While I breathe, I hope.

As long as we’re still alive, there’s still hope that our problems will be solved and that we will eventually find peace from our suffering.

The trick is to never ever give up.

After my mini sermon, she hugged me tight and said thank you. Her eyes, still as big as saucers, now had a faint glimmer of hope radiating from them.

I said welcome.

ILLUSTRATION BY TRE MCCLEDON