I Matter We Matter

“You matter.” This is a phrase that has become synonymous with suicide prevention. This is a phrase that can mean so much to a person who is in the depths of their struggles with mental health issues or even just a person who has fallen in a time of need. But, why is this phrase so impactful to the minds of people struggling? According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, “44,965 Americans die by suicide” each year. For every suicide that has occured, 25 people have attempted to end their lives (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). If my calculations are correct, that means over 1.1 million Americans have attempted or completed suicide every year. Known as the “10th leading cause of death” in the United States, suicide
I became aware of the foundation and their campaign when I was in 8th grade, and have been involved ever since. As an eighth grader, suicide prevention wasn’t really impactful for me until I came to the Magalassi Foundation’s “shadow run” event. Sitting through the event and hearing the panel’s stories of how suicide affected not only the person who decided to take their life but the people around them as well really made me become aware of how serious this problem is in present-day United States. Of course, at that time I was not really personally impacted by suicide, but it was still a turning point for me to become more aware of the people around me and their
He was very nice, and we became acquaintances. He seemed so joyful to be around when I was with him, but it wasn’t until a few weeks later that I found out he was not the happy person I first met. He confided in me and told me all about the struggles that he was going through. He felt as if there was nobody left in the world that thought he mattered in their life. By listening and letting him know that he mattered in my life and to many others, he felt comfortable to reach out to a professional who could offer him the help he needed. I feel as if the “I matter, you matter, we matter” message that has been spread around so much now really assisted him in coming to somebody, even if was a mere acquaintance like me, and discussing the problems he was facing. This message that everybody matters can provide hope to someone that is looking for it, and that is so impactful to me. The phrase “I matter, you matter, we matter” is such a powerful way to spread kindness and let people know that they are not alone in whatever hardship they are