How do you get that lonely?

Why is it that our generation has the highest rate of depression? We are the world's most privileged youth, but many of us can't find the courage to face another day. It breaks my heart to see young lives so desperate. What makes a person so desperate? What convinces them that the only hope left in their short life is to end it?

Life is hard. It will bring you to your knees, wait for you to get back up and then kick you in the stomach. Everyone has faced a hopeless situation, or two or three for that matter. Why can some of us stomach up the guts to continue on?

The news today showed a young girl, teased to the point of desperation. She took her own life because of bullies. Are you kidding me? Where were the teachers? Or other students for that matter. All it could have taken was one person, one child to reach out and befriend this girl. A gorgeous girl at that. A few days ago, a 15 year old boy took his own life locally. This past summer, a young lady does the same.

How do you get that lonely?

Nearly 18 million United State's citizens are suffering with depression. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people. The death of one child does not just affect the family. It affects the community. Schools are afraid to acknowledge the death of a student as to to "hero-ize" them and contribute to other's deaths.

Death is such a touchy topic. Americans are more than open to discuss the birth of a child as a part of the life cycle. It's described as a beautiful event in which a new life begins and starts the cycle of life. But death is a bit trickier. No one quite knows what to say. Especially in the event of a self taken death.

I see little girls at the mall with familiar scars on their wrists. They don't even try to cover them. They are proud of their self inflicted wounds. And these are only the scars we can see. Some blame the music they listen to. Some blame their parents. I blame us. We allow this to happen. We allowed people to feel so ostracized from the pack that they feel relief in the blade of a knife.

It's not cool to be depressed. It's not trendy to wear bracelets to cover scars. It's a sad and scary thing. Look for hope. Remember laughter. Smile in the face of everything. Fuck the people who don't agree. Fuck those who try to belittle you. You are a child of hope. You have the world's best at your fingertips. You always have tomorrow. You are not the sum of your flaws. You are all that is good about a sunrise. The blood coursing through your veins is a reminder of the strength held beneath your skin. You are light and dark. You are the breath on a cold day. You are hope. <3