How I Helped Save a Life & Didn’t Even Know Itfeatured

My friend killed himself some years ago. He was all smiles, so we will never know what thoughts plagued his insides.

All I know is that I wish he knew he could stay.

I wish he knew that he was not a burden.

I am passionate about preventing suicide, whether that be through donating to mental health organizations or teaching yoga to friends and co-workers. I do what I can to raise awareness for depression and other mental health struggles, as well as remind people that they are not alone.

I do it for Patrick. I do it for the old version of me who almost lost her life.

I truly believe we can cultivate mental fitness to help bring down the suicide rate. And you know those moments when life hurts so much you want to be alone? Don’t do it.

“Loneliness and social isolation have also been shown to increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29%,” according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Go be around people somewhere, anywhere. 

Last year in the US, a “national social disconnection epidemic” was declared, with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warning that about 50% of adults in the country are struggling with loneliness. Studies suggest that people who engage in prosocial behaviors, like sharing, volunteering, or donating to charity, tend to experience better health themselves.

Easier said than done, though, right?

Isn’t seeing people the last thing you want to do when you have been immersed in grief for days on end?

While it may seem heavy to carry what you are carrying alone, please know that the weight you carry grows lighter when you let us hold it alongside you.

And so this leads me to a few weeks ago, when I was crying at my desk. My co-worker turned friend came up to me and saw the pain in my eyes as I was closing a big chapter in my life… They looked at me, not knowing the exact thing that was bringing tears to my eyes, yet at the same time deeply knowing what it feels like to feel alone in your pain. 

They started crying too. Their tears eclipsed mine in a way I could not understand for a moment.

During Suicide Prevention Month, I went around some desks at work and dropped off a list of “Reasons to Stay” that To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) had sent me as I raised funds to help prevent suicide.

I left one on their desk. I felt like a peddler of sorts – pushing my anti-suicide agenda. But I did it anyway because I knew that life was worth living because of these people to whom I dropped these lists off to.

As I cried with my friend, they murmured under their tears, “You saved my life.” They went on to tell me that if their parents were standing here right now, they would give me the biggest hug and thank me for saving their child’s life.

Now my tears joined theirs on an entirely different dimension.

Here I was crying about closing a proverbial chapter in my career, not understanding the greater impact we have on each other every single moment of every single day.

As we cried together, the truth unfolded before my eyes.

The morning I dropped off that card on their desk? It wasn’t just any other morning.

It was one of those mornings.

The kind where loneliness wraps itself around your throat. The kind where you’re barely holding on. The kind where surrender feels like the only viable option.

That Suicide Prevention Month card reminded them of all the reasons to stay. And so they did.

We are meant to walk into that office every day. We are meant to write that thank you card. We are meant to take spontaneous journeys to show up for our loved ones. We are meant to remind people of all the reasons they should stay with us.

The founder of TWLOHA was propelled to create an anti-suicide movement after helping one person stay. Here’s the story that brings me to my knees every time I re-read it: The Renee Yohe Story by the Founder of To Write Love on Her Arms.

May 2026 be kind to you. May mornings be possible. May you find reasons to stay and keep going, by breathing deeply, building meaningful connections, diving into what moves you, and becoming who you’re meant to be by healing and evolving.

We need you here. Your best friend sees it. Your sibling feels it. Your dog knows it. Your coworker values it. Your mom believes it.

Like those at TWLOHA, I trust that softness will find its way in. That unexpected joy will surprise you, and light will cut through the hard parts.

You may think that no one will miss you if you just disappear into thin air, or ram your car into that wall.

But you know what happens every single day that you choose to stay?

You’re giving someone else permission to stay here, too.

Love Deeply and Forever,

P.S.

So if you’re finding it hard right now to find a reason to stay, even just for another day or moment, here are 50 reasons to choose from (from the card I dropped off to my friend):

“1. Sunsets to see 2. New friends 3. Reading really good books 4. Going on adventures 5. Believing in something bigger 6. You are not a burden 7. New places to explore 8. Fresh air 9. Making bucket lists 10. Listening to new music 11. Eating your favorite meal 12. Days of rest 13. Smiles from babies 14. Scars fading 15. Drives with the windows down 16. Hope being defiant 17. Discovering something new 18. Your pain isn’t your whole story 19. Practicing art 20. The sun on your face 21. Daring to think outside the box 22. Visiting a favorite place 23. Helping someone 24. Healing 25. There is still more love out there 26. Listening to a good album 27. Kisses from puppies 28. The beauty in your name 29. Being brave 30. Nostalgia 31. Who you are is always evolving 32. Long weekends 33. Falling snow 34. Pillow talks 35. Your absence would be felt 36. This is just a season 37. Local coffee shops and bookstores 38. Watching something grow and bloom 39. Cuddling with an animal 40. Feeling cozy and safe 41. Laughing until your face hurts 42. The chance for things to change 43. Warm days with a cool breeze 44. Dreams to fight for 45. Feeling awed 46. Trying something different 47. Hitting a new milestone 48. Inspiring movies 49. Looking at the stars 50. YOUR STORY IS IMPORTANT.”

For those struggling, you’re not in this alone. There are people who can and want to help. For free mental health resources, please go to  twloha.com/stay. If you need immediate help, you can call 988 or text TWLOHA to 741741.