This Saturday night, thousands will traverse 18 miles of New York City for suicide prevention. The Out of the Darkness Overnight walk, a yearly event organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), begins at dusk. Walkers travel through the night and into the dawn.
The symbolism of walking out of the darkness is not lost on anyone affected by suicide. The experience of moving through shock to eventual acceptance takes different amounts of time for different people. For many, it can feel like moving, even slowly, from darkness to light.
Over the past week, I've heard many stories of people affected by suicide. I've heard a young woman who just graduated from college talk about her suicide attempts in high school. Her mother shared what it was like to try to help her daughter and what stood in the way of their family trying to get the best help available.
I've heard another young woman share the story of losing her uncle, a veteran who had suffered with mental illness for many years, to suicide. Just eight days later, she lost a close friend to suicide. And not long after, another friend.
I've also been reminded of the story of Chancellor Keesling. Chance, as he was called, died by suicide while he was stationed in Iraq, serving our country. On Memorial Day, CNN.com featured an opinion piece written by Chance's father, Gregg. I had first read about Chance on AFSP's website. His parents have advocated strongly for President Obama to issue condolence letters to families of soldiers who die by suicide while in service.
It would be easy for me to get stuck in a place of grief, sadness, and disappointment. I've heard tragic story after tragic story. But, on the other side of these stories are messages of hope, perseverance, and triumph. Stories that end with the death of one person may be the beginning of stories of survival.
The Out of the Darkness walk allows many survivors to come full circle in regard to their losses. It's a chance for a fresh start, an opening, a new day. The walk is often done in memory of someone who died by suicide, but the spirit of the walk is suicide prevention - the hope that we can learn, perhaps from those who survive attempts or from families who struggle with the mental health care system, and discover better ways to prevent the tragedy of suicide.
Support the Overnight walk here.
Copyright 2011 Elana Premack Sandler, All Rights Reserved
