To the editor:

Increase awareness of a goal, along with action steps for achieving that, and help a community change for the better.

During the month of September, during this pandemic, on World Suicide Prevention Day, and every day, let’s work on helping every person experience life with much goodness, with a sense of being valued and a sense of belonging. With every person having access to health care, education, housing, nutrition, exercise, art and culture, employment and fair salaries. With every person having a strong support network and the skills to balance the challenges that are part of life.

Most people have the ability to smile at others more often, listen more carefully, believe what a person says about how they feel, and/or perform small acts of kindness. Some of us can actively advocate for social justice, and some of us can reach large audiences, including people with the power to lead system changes. Some of us are those people.

That’s what suicide prevention really looks like. Love really IS the answer.

Marcia Epstein,

Lawrence