It's one of those things we don't like to talk about.  It's not a pleasant conversation for anyone to have.  It might not be something to discuss on your break at work, but this is an important conversation, a special conversation that we as a society need to have - whether we're ready for it or not. 

Suicide.

There, I got the word out there.  It's something we all hope will never enter our lexicon. But, it's very real, and we can't just ignore it and hope it'll never happen to someone we love.  It's happened in my family.  I had an adult cousin, Karen, who took her own life when I was about 11 years old.  I remember my "Aunt" Linda, being very very quiet.  I remember looking out of the windows of Linda's house, wondering what if the world was going to ever be normal again.  I remember our family being very careful not to tell us kids too much;  they were trying to protect us.  I didn't understand why.    Actually, after a while it seemed like to even bring up her name was.... not necessarily taboo, but... unwelcome, I guess.  Over the years, I never forgot, but it eventually got pulled to the back of my memories.

My mother's friend Michael, he did the same thing, but I was young enough not to remember any details.  I just remember another of my mother's friends, Christine, idly plunking on the keys of our standup piano in the living room when she told us.  It didn't seem real.

It doesn't for a lot of us.  That's part of the problem, we don't know what to do or how to react when someone around us might be having suicidal thoughts.  That's why Memory Lane Foundation is here.  They want to actively help people who are having suicidal thoughts get the help they need, while also reaching out to the families and friends of people who have taken their own lives to offer the support they need.   Part of how they do that is a fundraising walk/run that's coming up in September.  I got to talk with a couple of the organizers, Stephanie LeFevers and Amanda Eisenbarth, about what's coming up.

Make sure you're there on September 10 at 10:00 a.m. (pre-register begins at 9:00 a.m.) at the Katy Trail. They'll begin at the Shelter on the West side of the Fairgrounds, on Clarendon Road. It's only a $20 registration fee. So please do check out their Facebook page, their website, or you can email mlffsp@gmail.com, or even call at (660) 596-5173.

It's not always easy street,

Behka

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