Write Love On Your Arms

To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit organization which aims to provide hope for those suffering from depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. They travel to churches, colleges, and high schools discussing these topics and doing programming which make people more aware of the dangers of depression. Several music artists (Switchfoot, Anberlin, Hanson, many more are involved and contribute to the move.

The topic of depression and suicide hit close to home for me, as I'm sure it does many of those who read this. Most of us have had a family member or friend suffering from depression, or perhaps suffered ourselves. We may have lost someone close to us to suicide or known someone who attempted. It's an unfortunately very common tragedy in our world.

On a daily basis I work with the most targeted depressed group of people. Teenagers have a very high rate of self-harm and depression. Just yesterday I had a student scared because she had a friend who was contemplating didn't know how to stop him. Another student *jokingly* said that she would jump from the balcony in the gym. It's everywhere. These kids are dealing with so much pressure, pain, and fear that they can easily slip into loneliness and depression. They see suicide as a way out, cutting themselves as a way to ease the pain in their hearts. When students have come to me for advice, I can give it to them. Not only because of my background in education, but because I have been there.

I know what it feels like to want to give up...to have absolutely no sense of who you are, to hate every part of yourself. To feel like you are crawling out of your own skin. I know what it feels like to cry so hard you can't breathe, that you want to rip your eyes out. To feel like you are completely alone in the world and that no one will ever be able to help you. To push everyone out of your life, even God, because you don't want to talk to anyone and you blame Him for all your problems.

Here's the difference between me and these kids: I've been through this and gotten through it, they are just starting to go through it. They need to know that there is ALWAYS someone to talk to, someone there, someone who cares. God never turns His back on his beautiful children. They have the strength inside them to pull out of the nasty stuff, they just have to reach down in and find that strength. All it takes is one person to be able to help another person.

I'm going to post my playlist of songs that have helped me get over some of the hardest stuff in life. I've shared this with two of my students who were depressed, and both said that it helped them.





Today, take a moment of silence for all the ones who have committed suicide. A moment of silence for those suffering depression and those who are harming themselves. For those suffering addiction or loneliness.

I love you all. Write love on your arms today...that means go out and hug someone, tell them you love them.