Hello everyone in the wonderful hive blockchain. I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the weather wherever you are. Happy weekend to you all. Once again, I'm grateful to the hive learners community for their amazing initiatives.
The hive learners' community has again presented us with another amazing topic and I'm so glad to be participating in it.
This topic made me stop for a moment and reflect on the things I've achieved. The goals I've accomplished despite unfavorable conditions. The struggles, trials, and temptations I've passed through just to make that little thing happen. Truth be told, most times I felt like giving up. I felt like turning around because there was no sign of light at the end of the tunnel. But somehow, I stood strong, and I scaled through.
Now, I've come to realize we should be proud of every little thing we do because every little thing we've achieved, no matter how little they are, has sharpened us and made us who we are today. We should praise ourselves for completing that task no matter how small or easy it is. It is then we can encourage ourselves to do better.
Growing up, I had this mentality that the only thing that'll make me proud of myself (and will make my parents proud of me) is when I get good grades and come out as one of the best in my class. Every time I saw my result, there was always a big smile on my face. The kind of smile that clearly says “YES, I DID IT”. Although I wasn't the best, I was one of the best and it is clearly reflected in my grades.
The one time I felt on top of the world was when I got an award for the best student in Literature. That day was very nice! They called me out among other students, parents, school staff, and well-known people. But is this on the top list of the things I'll always be proud of? No. Then, it was a very big deal for me, but when I grew older I realized I still have a lot of time to do great things, and a year ago, I did something that I'll forever be proud of.
What is that one thing I did that I'll always be proud of
At my age, I've done and achieved a lot of things that anytime I remember them, I'm always proud of myself. But the one thing that tops the list is the one time I saved a life. I'll always say this; people are going through a lot. Some wear a smile on their face so people won't notice, but deep down, they are not doing fine at all. The least we can do to help is just to be nice and to keep our hurtful words to ourselves.
So before I continue, please note that I took permission from the person before sharing this story.
In my last article in this community (the one about zodiac signs) I mentioned someone, a very brilliant girl who was obsessed with astrology, stars, and the moon. She was the youngest in my class and the most brilliant student too. She got A’s in every subject. She became the teacher's favorite especially because she was very young for her class, yet she was doing really great.
Mathematics was not one of the subjects I liked. During my first three years in high school, I loved mathematics so much. In fact, I loved anything that had to do with calculations, but everything changed when I got to SSS1 (Senior Secondary School 1), I suddenly developed hatred for mathematics. I needed help because if you fail a subject in promotion exams, you'll have to repeat that class; that was the rule.
I went to her and asked her if she could teach me during breaks and after school. To my surprise, she agreed, and that was how we got close. We continued that way till we got to the final year (SSS3).
The girl was so lively and she always looked happy that no one would suspect she was going through hard times. After our WAEC (West African Examination Council) exams, we were going home together that day and she said something along these lines “I'm not happy and I've been thinking about suicide” at first, I thought she was joking, because what could a 14-year-old girl be going through that will make her think of suicide, so I laughed it off. She didn’t say anything about it until after so many months when she brought up the topic about suicide that day (we were chatting on Facebook) and luckily, my mom was with me that day and immediately she said I should call her.
My mom works in a hospital and she reads lots of books, so she’s experienced when it comes to teenage problems. I called her and asked her to tell me everything. At first she was reluctant, but after a few minutes, she told me everything. I was speechless, I didn’t know what to say at all, so I had to end the call. I told my mom everything she said and my mom told me the necessary things I needed to do. We chatted on Facebook throughout that night and I promised to visit her the next day.
The next day when I visited, I was very surprised by what I saw. She showed me the pills she was using (antidepressants and overweight pills) she also showed me the suicide notes she had written and some other substances that I had never seen in my life. The one thing that came to my mind was to pack everything and burn them right there, which is exactly what I did. I invited her over to my house, and she came and my mom had a one-on-one conversation with her. We also started going to the hospital every Wednesday until the doctor confirmed she was completely fine.
The questions I keep asking myself even till today are “what would’ve happened if she hadn’t told me anything? What if I was too late to do anything? What if I had laughed it off the second time?
Well, I’m just glad I was there to help and that I saved her life.
Here’s a screenshot of our chat from October 2021. (Please note: I asked for her permission before sharing). The worst part of it was that her parents didn’t notice and she said even if she told them they wouldn’t do much about it.
[This image is mine]
In conclusion,
No matter what you’re going through, suicide is never an option. Just know, your loved ones would love to hear your story than attend your funeral. If you’re going through hard times, open up to someone.