Abby.JPG

#ImRunningFor

…the teenagers who feel alone.

Being 21, I haven’t lived a lot of life yet. I’ve traveled a bit, moved to a new city, and am due to

graduate this spring, but there’s so much I haven’t experienced. That being said, I have experienced loss.

I personally know three people that have committed suicide. One was a close friend that I lost touch with, one was a classmate, one was a friendly face I knew from middle school band. Each one hit me differently, each one making me realize a different aspect of grief. Each one of these remarkable people were teenagers when they took their own lives.

At my high school, there has been one suicide a year for the past 5 years. I don’t personally know these students, but I do know them. They saw the same halls I did, got stuck trying to turn out of the parking lot, smelled the same cafeteria food, and put on the same uniform I did.

Every day I find myself wondering why. Why is this a pattern? Why them? Why didn’t I suspect anything?

Why were they all teenagers? Everyone has their own experiences and memories, but I think we can all agree that being a teenager is tough. You have pressures from school, family, friends, society, and the future is up in the air. So much is expected of you and so many life-altering decisions are on the horizon. However, you aren’t supposed to have worries. Adults tell you all the time these are the good years and that you have it easy. You aren’t allowed to be overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed.

As a teenager, I had my fair share of good memories, but I also was diagnosed with anxiety after a trip to the hospital. It does not matter how great your life seems from the outside, you can still be struggling.

If these other amazing, loved people were at such a dark place without people knowing, who’s to say it won’t happen to another person I know? With a teenage brother, I worry. I text him weekly to let him know I love and care about him. It doesn’t feel like enough, but it’s something. And sometimes, that can mean everything.

There’s no way for me to know exactly why the people I know took their own lives, but that won’t stop me from trying to prevent it.

I can’t change the past, but I can change the future. That’s why I’m running.

Submitted by: Abby W. - Chicago, IL