Another day… yay.

It’s National Suicide Prevention Month, so let’s be frank… if you’re a human living on this earth right now, the chances are high that you or someone you love has wrestled with suicidal thoughts, attempts, or the aftermath of loss. I write about suicide and mental health often. Maybe too often. But I write because it matters. Because it’s real. Because silence doesn’t help us heal.

If you’re one of the people who went to the edge and came back, for reasons you can’t fully name… have you ever looked back to ask: why did I stay? I don’t mean to paint life as fixed or perfect (it never is), but look: the people you’ve met since then, the coping tools you’ve found or built, the small wins you wouldn’t have had otherwise… those are real.

When the old thoughts start circling, I try to inventory those small, stubborn things that kept me here. It changes the mood. It grounds me. I’ve always been the person who feels misunderstood… like I’m forced to understand everyone and everything while others skate by. I feel alien in a world full of sheep. I feel like a target just for existing. That list could go on forever. But that’s not why I’m writing today. This post is a reminder that we made it, yet again. Another day… yay.

That line “Another day… yay”, has been my goofy little mantra since the last time I nearly didn’t make it. It’s sarcastic, gently defiant, and oddly protective. It pulls me back to the present: not yesterday’s weight, not tomorrow’s dread, just this breathing, messy, imperfect now. It doesn’t fix everything. It doesn’t pretend to be deep spiritual wisdom. It’s a tiny habit that helps me keep walking forward.

If you’re one of the rare people who hasn’t had a suicidal thought or seen it in someone close, first… I envy you. Seriously. And second, this post still matters to you. Maybe you’ll learn what to say when someone needs you, or you’ll simply gain a little more empathy. Either way, stay with me.

Another day… yay.

Another day for another walk… yay.
Another day for another talk… yay.
Another day for another positive thought… yay.
Another day for another song, another poem, another run, another person, another story, another messy art piece… another something.

Most of all: another day for you to be here and to look, even briefly, for a reason to keep going. Any reason. Even when it feels impossible. I know that feeling. I know those thoughts.

I’ve pushed back against the manipulative language that calls struggling people “selfish.” I’ve argued with the idea that suicide is a simple choice with simple consequences. I don’t have all the answers. Maybe you and I and everyone reading this has different truths. But the daily goal… for me, for you, is small and stubborn: another day… yay.

If you’re dealing with suicidal ideation, wander through my other blog posts. I share thoughts and exercises that help me, honestly and plainly. But if you feel like you can’t hold yourself in that moment, don’t hesitate: call or text 988 (U.S.), reach out to someone you trust, or contact local emergency services. You don’t have to explain it poetically. Say you need help. That’s enough.

There are so many ways a hard journey can evolve: a rough day becomes a blog post, a blog post becomes a painting, a painting becomes a podcast, and sometimes a podcast becomes the lifeline someone else needs. There’s no single “correct” way to cope. There are many ways to survive and to create from survival though, and some of the best things come from people who’ve been through what you’re going through, not always from clinical training alone.

You’re not a problem to be fixed. You’re a person in motion. Keep moving. Keep making. Keep asking for help when you need it.

Hope this helps,

— B