Disabled.

Author's Note

Dear reader,

In the last  chapter, I covered the very important but sensitive topic of suicide. My intention to include it in this story was not to glorify it as 'the right choice' when faced with a tough situation. The reason why I chose to write about suicide was because I believe that it is a very important topic that more people should be talking about. And although, I haven't been personally affected by suicide, I have seen the devastating results that it can cause for both the loved ones of the person involved as well as the community as a whole.

You may or may not have seen in the tags of this story the word 'suicide'. And maybe you thought I had added that because of Nadia's attempt at suicide but it was actually because of what happened in the last chapter that I chose to add it to the tags.

Recently, with the passing of a K-Pop (Korean Pop) star, named Kim Jonghyun from the popular group Shinee, I feel like this topic has been gaining more attention with the reminder that "there is always someone there to listen" as well as the lists of phone numbers that people can call when they are in a situation where they are contemplating suicide. But what's sad for me is the fact that it feels like people are always reminded about this topic after someone commits this act. 

In this world where everyone is pressured to go in a certain direction, sometimes it can be tough to feel like there's no other answer but suicide. And although I can only speak for myself, I can only imagine that there are people out there everyday who feel like there's no other way that they can keep living and because of that, they feel like suicide is the right answer.

Did you know that men are more likely to commit suicide than women? The reason for this is believed to be the fact that women are more likely to seek help from someone, women are more likely to speak about it. But some men may not look for help because they may be afraid of being ridiculed for not being 'strong' enough or 'manly' enough to tough it out. But this is a belief that I believe society as a whole has to change. Because the day that we all believe and understand the importance of talking about our feelings, regardless of our gender, that is the day that we will be able to see true change. 

There is a quote that I heard in a show which really resonated with me. The quote was "not only happiness but sadness passes too". And I feel like when you're in a really tough situation it's hard to remember or even realize the fact that nothing lasts forever. And just like the quote says, whatever the situation is, it will pass.

So if there is anyone reading that has ever thought about suicide or is currently thinking about it, I just want you to know that whatever situation you're in right now, it will pass. No matter how hard or impossible it may seem, the day will come when you will realize that you've made it through that dark time. And as hard as it may be for you to believe, there are people out there who truly care about you. All you have to do is reach out to those people and I'm sure they'll be more than grateful that you did. 

I didn't plan for this note to be a long one but as I was writing it, I just couldn't stop my mind from running and because of that, this long note was the result. I'd like to end this note by thanking you for taking the time to read it and also by saying that although I'm just one person, possibly thousands of miles away from you and someone you can only communicate with through this website, I honestly care about each and every one of my readers. And so, if any of you ever need someone to talk to or even someone to just listen to you, I'd be more than happy to lend my ear because I believe that no matter how far people are from each other, we can always impact the life of someone even if they are far away. All we have to do is reach out and show that we care.

~candysweet101 (Vanessa)