To the editor:

Tuesday was a historic day for this country. I watched as a new era started with the swearing in of the first black president. Even though I am very excited about these events, I was also very saddened Tuesday by another event that occurred. That night I had to attend the funeral of my 13-year-old nephew, who, for reasons only known to him, committed suicide last week.

My purpose in writing this letter is to encourage any of you that might be feeling inclined to do the same thing to seek help. I don’t know what was so hard and terrible for my nephew, none of us will ever know, but apparently he felt life was not worth living at the moment he pulled the trigger. If you are feeling sad, depressed, upset, overwhelmed, and you feel like life is not worth living, I want to tell you, it is worth living!

Put one foot in front of the other, and ask for help. Ask a teacher, a friend, a counselor, an adult you are comfortable with. Go to church, pray, ask a priest or other clergy person, speak to anyone that you think will listen. Try again, if you don’t get the attention or help that you need. Life is worth living.

There are so many opportunities available to all of us; just see who our new president is! Parents, please hug your children, love them unconditionally and listen to them. Be there for them, participate in their lives, keep them safe. There is one less child in this world for us to hug, and my heart breaks for his parents and sister.

Melanie Farney,
Lawrence