The courage to live

Resumé

BY DOROTHY PARKER

Razors pain you;

Rivers are damp;

Acids stain you;

And drugs cause cramp.

Guns aren’t lawful;

Nooses give;

Gas smells awful;

You might as well live.

People say that it takes courage to commit suicide. I think that it takes even more courage to live on despite one's pain. It is much easier to die so that the unbearable pain comes to an end. Not that dying is the most pleasant thing, but compared to the prospect of enduring the pain for life, it might be the lesser of two evils.

I pray that if I ever come near to the point of giving up, may God grant me the fierce, selfless courage - and strength - to stop myself. No, I don't think that I'd actually end up in hell if I intentionally murdered myself out of severe depression. And I have my reasons. However, I don't want my loved ones crying at my funeral for the wrong reasons. And I don't want to leave them behind... wounded. No. If I can't be brave for myself, then let me be brave for those whom I love.