by Christopher Walton, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, Florida
Whenever I hear about someone committing suicide, like most people I imagine, the first question I often ask is what pushed the person to take such a drastic route? What was so bad about his or her life that they felt it would be better to cut it short?
The thing I wish I could tell these individuals beforehand is that there’s almost nothing you can experience on this plane of existence that can’t be overcome. Even through issues such as heartbreak, financial ruin, embarrassing episodes, and failure can cause huge amounts of anxiety and stress, the good news is that their devastating effects don’t last long. And, like a wise man told me years ago, it doesn’t make sense to resort to a permanent solution for a problem that only lasts temporarily.
When I get depressed which happens more frequently than I would like to admit, I always get over my gloomy thoughts by remembering those who have it worse. After which I become ashamed at the fact that I even allowed myself to wallow in self-pity when the realization hits that, regardless of how terrible my circumstances may seem, there’s always somebody who would love to switch places.
I mean, how could I dare complain about needing a new pair of shoes after coming across a man who has no feet? Or, more pointedly, how could I allow myself to get emotionally down about the time I was sentenced to prison when there are men and women out there without release dates who are housed in even harsher conditions?
When you look at life with that kind of perspective you’ll soon realize that the things you may worry the most about are, in actuality mild inconveniences or minor setback compared to what others may be enduring. Moaning about what could have been or what you don’t have only makes you look petty and ungrateful to those who are far less fortunate. In chapter 3:4 of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible it says, “There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh, and a time to mourn and time to dance.”
What I’ve always interpreted this passage to mean is that in life you must be prepared to deal with whatever comes your way, whether it be good or bad. The one thing we should never forget when we’re going through our trials and tribulations is that it’s always the darkest before the dawn. You just have to have enough patience to make it through the night so you can see the sun rise again.