Do
they wish they were aborted? Do they consider suicide?
If you’ve
entertained the thought of taking your life, let me introduce you to some
special people.
NANCY
Nancy weighed only 49 pounds when I
met her and she never walked. Her husband of 25 years was her feet. She was his
eyes.
A spunky little woman, usually
filled with joy, one day her anger perked to the top. A young man crippled in a recent accident petitioned the
courts for his nursing home attendants to help him take his life.
Nancy’s brilliant eyes blazed as
she waved a tiny finger. “That is wrong! Some people think I don’t have much of
a life. But it’s the only life I have and I enjoy every minute of it!”
Because of her debilitating congenital
muscle condition, she could barely brush her own teeth, but on her wall a
beautiful embroidered needlepoint of “The Lord’s Prayer” testified of her
gumption. First-place Colorado State
Fair ribbons still attached testified to the expert embroidery work.
Nancy worked in her church and
several local organizations. She and her husband bowled. He placed her ball,
and she pushed it off. She helped him
aim his ball so he could hit the pins.
NOT DEAD YET
In my work as a newspaper reporter
I met many incredible handicapped people. Among them were members of “Not Dead
Yet,” a disability
rights group formed to oppose the movement to legalize assisted suicide and
euthanasia.
Those in the group affected by cerebral palsy and other
debilitating diseases were difficult for me to understand, but their
friends could understand and interpreted
for me. They had spunk beyond what I could imagine, and most spoke about how
they enjoyed living, although they weren’t like everyone else.
As with the Apostle Paul, they decided to say, “Whatever state I am, I will
be content.”[1]
I used to go through the coroner’s
copies of death certificates and saw many suicides among them. I frequently reported health statistics,
which included suicides for our city.
SUICIDES AMONG THE ELDERLY
As tragic as it is for even one young person
to kill himself, you might be surprised to learn that teens don’t have the
highest suicide rate. Almost three times more elderly white men end their lives with their own actions than
the overall rate.
Suicide begins increasing after age 65.
Researchers point to the elderly men’s lack of resilience or coping abilities,
or they choose more lethal means of suicide.
My dad became deeply depressed
after he was admitted to a nursing home.
“I’m no good to anybody,” he
complained.
Redhead that I am I said, “Don’t be
funny. You haven’t even finished raising your family yet.”
He looked at me as if I’d lost my
senses. All eight of his children and his two step-children were out on their
own, taking care of themselves.
“You’re showing us how to grow
old,” I told Dad. I could see a light glisten in his eyes. He knew what I was
talking about.
For the first time he realized he was modeling
the truths of our faith as well as how to make the difficult choices when our
health fails. I didn’t tell him, but I knew a family history of suicide puts
others at risk for the same behavior.[2]
A HAPPY OLD LADY
Besides the handicapped, I remember
a frail elderly lady who spent hours every day on the phone calling people to deliver
a little sunshine into their lives. She had a list of phone numbers and
hundreds of birthdays, anniversaries, but she called, sang little songs, or
read encouraging verses on Christmas and other holidays. When she met me, she
put me on the list. Sometimes she found
a name where someone was hospitalized or ill, and she’d call with
encouragement.
EXAMPLES OF GREATNESS
In my work as a reporter, I
interviewed movie stars, politicians, even a member of the Supreme Court,
covered presidents’ and first ladies’ speeches, National Football League
players and coaches, but the people I remember most are the ordinary folks
whose lives reflect their faith in God and love—especially the incredible
people who chose to be content despite uncomfortable circumstances, health
problems, disabilities or age.
In my eyes, these folks lived
examples of greatness.
Have you thought of suicide because
of your physical condition or limitations? Even if you haven’t, you are at
risk, especially if you lose your health, become handicapped or experience
other heartache or emotional trauma in your life.
In The Ten Commandments God told us
not to kill, and that includes killing ourselves. But He did not leave us
comfortless. When Jesus went away, He sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter,
guide, and to give us power over the enemy of our souls (Acts 1 and John 14).
Furthermore, He promised never to leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6 and He
doesn’t.
©Ada Brownell 2012
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