Elvis's Grandson

I read about this the other day, all I can think of is why and the impact on the family regardless of the fame.

My daughter (20), youngest child, lost a friend (same age) 2 years ago to suicide. He was a friend from school, she grew up him. The boy’s mother was the school nurse at her elementary school and my daughter was a frequent visitor to the school nurse in her early years so they became friends too. My daughter still stays in contact with her.

My daughter still has tough feelings about this boy taking his life, she’s sad mostly but she does get mad about it too. From time to time we will find his funeral remembrance card in her car or on her dresser or like last week on the kitchen table. We try to low key talk about it but she just gets mad, cries and goes to her room for a while. I won’t go into detail of how he died, but it’s wasn’t instantaneous, he most likely suffered terribly and I don’t believe his parents got to the hospital before he passed. It was a terrible thing.

People say suicide is a selfish act, that by taking your own life you’re only thinking of yourself, not those around you, IMO that’s kind of harsh. I think that’s an unfair assessment and depiction especially in cases of young people. The belief of “I’d be (or my family would be) better off if I was dead” is a terrible position to be in. To me it screams a lack of self worth or the value you hold in your family.

Rich or poor, a life is a life. There’s a difference of ending your life because of terminal sickness and just killing yourself because of hopelessness.