The Walk for Suicide Prevention

Dear readers,

May 25th came and I was putting the last strings together in preparation for the walk the next day. There was a chance of rain for Monday and my nerves were running high. I was excited and hopeful. I told people, "Either 5 people will show up or hundreds." I didn't know what to expect for the next day, but I had been looking forward for this day for a long time. It had been on KTRE, our local news station and on the front page of our local newspaper.

Then the morning came. I woke up at 7:30, it was cloudy and humid, but it didn't look like it would rain quiet yet. I gathered my belongings for the walk and my husband, we drove to Kiwani's Park. We cleaned up the pavilion some and put out balloons. Vanessa came and Ryan's dad and brother also. We put the final touches on and then people started coming. It was a family and friends, then a girl, and then more people. I started crying as the first people walked up. If only one person came I would be filled with joy. And they came! It was an amazing feeling to witness people coming together for a cause that is so dear to us, so very much. 

We talked and greeted. When the walk was about to begin, I got up to make an impromptu speech. I had thought of moments to prepare for it, but I knew I just wanted to speak from my heart that morning. I said, "Today is not a day to remember how we lost them, but a day of hope, a day of change. Because together we are making this change." 

Then the walk started, my husband was the leader. We walked for awareness, we walked in remembrance, we walked for hope, we walked for change. We walked for each other. There were signs along the pathway that gave walkers more hope, more faith to keep going. Always keep going.

The walk was about a mile and a half. People were sweating and tired, but we were making a difference. Because this has to stop, suicide needs to stop. We care about each other, we need to not judge others, we need to love each other. We need to give our shoulder out to a friend who is having a hard day or just smile at a stranger as you pass them by on the street. Little things matter, those make the big things. Starting with me and starting with you, we can start this change. 

As we all got back from the walk, we then wrote letters to our loved one that had passed on and wrote letters of encouragement. Then we tied the letter to the balloons. We all gathered in one big circle and released the balloons. They floated up towards heaven for them to read. It was moving, it was beautiful, we just looked up towards the heaven in a moment of stillness.

Then we hugged, we made friends, memories were made that will last forever. We opened our hearts and welcomed these new strangers in, we could relate to each other, we were each other's strength for that day. We became friends, we became the change in each other's lives. 

And I am forever grateful for that. I am forever grateful for this day, this is my heart. I lost one of my best friends to suicide and ever since that day I knew I wouldn't let people forget him. He's the most amazing friend I've ever had. He taught me strength, he taught me faith, he taught me happiness. And I will never forget that; I will never forget this day.

And it never did rain that morning!

Love, 

Megan