Suicide Awareness: Why "You Are Irreplaceable!" Initiative

On our new Facebook group page, a new member asked about the mission of You Are Irreplaceable. This post will begin to answer our compelling "why" we exist and our mission because of it. Let's take an imaginary field trip to discover our "why."

The Suicide Reminder Road

Suicide Awareness: Imagine this…

We gather together on a deserted highway to participate in a suicide awareness walk. On our interactive walking tour, we take the first step down the lonely road and find a snapshot image of a young man in a baseball uniform. He is smiling after hitting the winning home run. His teammates surround him in celebration.

Three days later, this young baseball player completed suicide by hanging. He was 17 years old and preparing for his high school graduation. An irreplaceable person is gone.  

We take one more step on the deserted road and discover another picture. We see a young woman holding her infant child as her proud husband looks lovingly at them both. Her depression, although being treated, was uncontrolled, and she had lost her will to live. She jumped off a bridge and fell to her death before their child's first birthday.  Another irreplaceable person is gone. 

In our next step, we pause just three feet away and look into the eyes of a young American combat veteran. His photograph captures who he was and what he stood for when others took a knee. He answered the call and served his country with distinction. He survived the horrors of war but not the relentless nightmares and flashbacks to experiences that couldn't have happened but did. He completed his suicide on his 24th birthday.  One more irreplaceable person is gone. 

Suicide Awareness: Rewind to 2010 LogoWalk

LogoWalk 2010 Suicide Awareness UR Irreplaceable

As we take our next steps, we look into the distance and see a mirage of 31,045 people's images awaiting our attention. We highlighted this number during our 2010 LogoWalk at Texas A&M International University on September 11, 2010.

I hope you have your best walking shoes on. The line of 31,045 completed suicides stretches nearly 18 miles into the distance. How long would it take us to walk that lonely 18 miles, looking at the images and considering who was lost and those who were left behind? 

Suicide Awareness: Fast Forward to Last Year (2023) 

As we complete the 18-mile walking journey, a voice says, "Continue walking for 10 more miles!" The number of completed suicides in America alone for 2023 surpassed 50,000. Lace-up your shoes, take a water break, and here we go again! At the end of the 28 miles, your physical, emotional, and psychological strength failing, you cross the "finish" line. But again, the voice says, "Over 700,000 committed suicide worldwide in 2023. You must walk another 398 miles! 

What If Suicide Awareness Wasn't a Spectator Sport?

As fellow human beings, what if we were asked to walk that distance? What if life demanded that we engage, get off the bench in the stadium, and stand in that three-foot gap that separates life and death?

Would it be worth the blisters on our feet from walking the distance? It's like walking from San Francisco to Los Angeles or Atlanta to Orlando. And this is just for one year! After walking that far, even one step could make a difference in our sojourn. That one step represents an irreplaceable life saved from suicide. It reflects the countless friends and loved ones who survive in the wake and must go on. What is the value of saving just one life?  

We Can All Do Something: Say "You Are Irreplaceable!" 

Many people have told me they would love to help but don't know what to do. They say they are not equipped to deal with suicide. Fine. We can provide them training to stand in the gap, but here's something EVERYONE can do: Tell everyone you know, "YOU ARE IRREPLACEABLE!"

Please send them this post and invite them to our Facebook group. Everyone can do that if they have a heart for those who are suffering. But it takes courage and commitment to approach strangers with the same message. People might question your sanity, but the risk is worth the reward!   

The Mission of "You Are Irreplaceable!" 

The "why" and mission of "You are Irreplaceable" should be clear; however, the number of lives we are called to touch may not be. That number is 10 Million! Considering approximately 8 billion people globally, that number is not delusional but reasonable. But until we reach that number, remember the story of the little boy and the starfish. Here it is…

Let's do our part to help "save some." I hope you'll share this post and our You Are (UR) Irreplaceable Facebook group. We can make a difference, one irreplaceable person, one step at a time.