How To Save A Life?

How to save a life?

I asked myself this question that day.

They had moved into the very next apartment about 6 months ago. He knocked on my door for the first time. I opened the door. He appeared to be a slender but good-looking young teenage boy, probably 16-17 years old. He stood at my doorstep and asked me politely without making direct eye contact with me, seemingly in a shy manner, “Bro, what are the water timings here? We just moved into this new apartment!” I smiled at him and said, “Hey! The water timings are 7:30 am and 9:00 pm daily!” He smiled back at me making brief eye contact and said, “Thank you, Bro!” I responded with a smile, “You’re welcome!” He opened the door of his apartment and went inside, and I shut my door.

The moment I shut my door, I realized, “Goddamn! I forgot to tell him today is Friday. And on Friday evenings, they don’t supply the water!” So, I opened my door and stepped outside, and knocked on their door. He opened his door. I said, “Hey Bro! I’m sorry I forgot to tell you. Today is Friday. And on Friday evenings, the caretakers of the building don’t supply the water, so, there will be no water for tonight. You’re gonna have to wait until 7:30 next morning!” He smiled and said, “Okay, thanks!” and shut his door.

I’ve been living in this apartment for almost 6 years now. We don’t have a 24-hour water supply here, but we do get enough water supply 2 times a day for 30 minutes each time, as I mentioned before. Every apartment in the building has a big water tank fitted in their bathrooms to store the water for daily usage.

Although I’ve been living here for so many years now, anyone barely knows me. I like to keep a low profile. I don’t talk to the neighbors unless I’m spoken to or talked to by anyone. I just smile back if any of the residents smile at me. My apartment is on the first floor of the building, and it’s a 4-story apartment building. The building is kind of a C-shaped apartment building. It has 4 sections A, B, C, and D. Sections A and C are vis-a-vis, and section C is where my apartment is.

In the middle of those sections are sections B and D. Right by section A, is the main entrance or gate of the apartment building. Also, the building has a big compound space where all the sections’ entrances are. In the compound space, the children play and people sit and talk or take walks in the evenings.

My apartment has 3 rooms, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. And of course a small bathroom. All the main rooms have large, wide windows that open toward the compound space where I can see people passing through, entering and exiting their sections, and the building’s main gate which is in front of my apartment.

I would see this boy coming home, probably from his college or tuition in the afternoons whenever I stood at my living room window. The boy would mostly wear jeans and full T-shirts or sometimes shirts and would have some sneakers on, with his college backpack hanging on his back. The boy would always remind me of my teenage appearance. I was kind of like him, a slender boy with sullen cheeks; spiked, short, and thick black hair. I would walk, stamping my feet with a swagger, as the boy did, head looking up straight ahead. Eyes, indicating a reflection of millions of thoughts swirling inside the head. I was just like him when I was his age. I would see him in the afternoons whenever I stood at my window to get some fresh air.

I never had any other proper conversation with that boy after that very first conversation we had when he and his family had moved into their apartment right next to mine. I don’t even know anything about his family. I remember seeing his father sometimes. And sometimes, I hear a mature female voice outside my door indicating she could be that boy’s mother. The boy would always seem quiet. He wouldn’t step out as much as the other young boys in the apartment building would in the evenings, chit-chatting with their friends or sometimes playing football or box cricket game in the building’s compound space.

I remember, just about 3-4 weeks ago, I was writing something on my laptop sitting at my writing desk in the living room when I heard a bam sound on my door. I thought someone was knocking on my door, so I opened it to find out who it was. I opened it and saw it was that boy. He smiled and said to me, “Bro, sorry, I was just taking my shoes off and it hit the bottom of your door and made that sound!” I smiled back and said, “That’s okay!” He went inside his apartment and I shut my door. That was the second brief and accidental conversation I had with the boy.

Last Friday on January 14th, 2022, the day was bright, yet the weather was cold because it’s kind of a winter season going on here in this part of the world where I live. The temperatures are around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit nowadays even during the noons. My day was good in terms of writing. I was working on a blog during the daytime because the afternoon time is the quietest time of the day around this place. But I was not feeling well because of the cold weather. So, I couldn’t finish writing that blog and decided to take a nap on my couch. And by the time I woke up from my nap, it was already 6 in the evening, and I was making myself ready for a delicious dinner.

That’s when I started hearing loud noises outside my door. There were sounds of banging on the door, not on my door but the next-door apartment, the boy’s apartment. I thought the neighbors had locked themselves out. So, I didn’t bother opening my door to check that out. But then I heard some woman screaming, “My son hanged himself. Oh, God! Oh, God!” I realized it was something serious and of a different nature. So, I opened my door and saw there were already other neighbors from the other apartments gathered outside the boy’s apartment door and some were standing right outside my door. The two apartments are very close by as you might have noticed it.

The woman was continuously screaming and sobbing. The boy had hanged himself on the ceiling fan with a nylon rope. I screamed from the outside for the people around to give him mouth-to-mouth, but some guy stepping out of the boy’s apartment door told me that the boy’s body was already stone cold. He was already out of life. I went in total shock and got inside my room and banged my door shut.

About an hour later, the boy’s father came home from his work and I heard him sobbing loudly. Later on, the cops came and were inquiring to the other neighbors about the incident. Later on, an ambulance came and I saw them putting the boy’s lifeless body in it. His body was wrapped in some blanket. I could only see his bare feet. I realized they were taking him to the hospital to perform a postmortem or something on him.

The night passed by, drenched in the wailing voices of his loved ones and quiet chit-chats among the other neighbors about this shocking, sad incident.

The next afternoon was the gravest afternoon I ever witnessed in a long time. They brought the boy’s lifeless body and performed the final rituals on him in presence of the other residents, his friends, and his kith and kin. I was watching all this from the window of my living room because all of it was taking place right down below my apartment window. And then, they carried his body to the crematorium to cremate it according to their tradition.

As they carried the boy outside of the building’s compound, I bowed and prayed to God for his soul’s peace. And I thought to myself, “I wish I had talked to the boy more often. All he probably needed was someone to speak his heart and mind to!” I had all kinds of depressing thoughts swirling around my head at that moment. But, once again, I was reminded of the true, precious worth of this human life. The life which I, we have all been gifted by the Creator. Life is so very precious and you have to use it wisely and to its full potential. But sometimes, the situations or things in life become so hard for some people that they can’t take it anymore. And then, the only remedy or solution to their troubles they can see is the ultimate end, the self-termination.

Now, you must be thinking about what prompted that boy to take such an extreme action for his life which eventually amounted to nothing but only the unbearable, never-ending pain for his loved ones behind him. I surmised several things leading the boy to that extreme step of ending his life. But then, it was of no use deliberating on it, that precious life was already lost. Nothing was going to bring him back to his loved ones.

We don’t know what happens after death. It’s not for us to brood over right now, because we’ve been given this special and precious gift of human life. We are supposed to only concentrate on living this life to its full potential and living it wisely because we are humans, the smartest species on earth. When our time comes, you and I will be ready for it and then, we will definitely find out about what happens after death. But let that end be natural, not some unnatural end like suicide. So, we must do well with the time that has been given to us by the Creator of the world.

I always believe this human life is a great chance for a soul to find its salvation and liberate itself from the cycle of birth and death. That’s my perception of life. You may have a different perspective on it or you may not have any perspective at all, and I respect you for whatever it is. It’s for each soul to find out its own meaning in life. All I know is that “Life is way too precious to throw it away just like that due to some temporary out-of-control situation.”

There is always a way out of even the most intricate situations in life. You just must keep pushing for life for its betterment and your happiness and peace in life. Also, in life, one cannot be happy at all times. There comes a time in life when you just feel empty and sad, but never let that temporary sadness or emptiness ruin your whole life. There are many ways in which you can find something or other to go on with your life.

If you or any of your loved ones or friends are struggling with life and exhibiting signs of sadness or hopelessness, try to identify and acknowledge that struggle.

If you or your loved one constantly appears to be sad, it shows on one’s face, just acknowledge that thing which is bothering you or your loved one. Ponder over that situation that has been bothering you for a while. Go to your loved one to tell them how you’re feeling or ask him/her how he/she is feeling about life if your loved one is the one who is struggling with life.

Always talk it out. Talking takes a load off your heart. Once you’ve identified and acknowledged that situation, discuss with your friend or loved one open-heartedly all the possible ways to dissolve the intensity of the situation you’re feeling stressed about. If it’s some financial or business matter, there are always so many ways available to settle such matters. If it’s a school or college matter, it’s not much of a big deal. Even if you fail your grades a hundred times, you can try again and again to pass the grades. And even if you fail again, that’s not the end of the world. Maybe you’re bound to be something else in life. Look for it and never give up.

If it’s some relationship matter, try to talk to the person you’re in a relationship with. If that person really respects and loves you, he/she will understand your heart. If that person doesn’t care about your feelings, then you simply move on. There’s no sense in wasting your precious life for someone who doesn’t even give a damn about you. It’s better to enjoy your own company. Start reading books. There are so many good books available. Reading good books really does well for your mind. See that for yourself when you start reading regularly.

If you’re a young boy or girl and someone’s bothering or bullying you, go and talk to the person you confide in the most. Tell them everything about your situation. Strict action can be taken against that person who is trying to bully or bother you for no reason. If you’re facing some social discrimination, you can report that too. No matter what country you’re from, nobody is a slave anymore. You can voice against injustice anytime and you should always. There are laws to support you, no matter what country or city you live in.

If you’re an elderly person and feel lonely, you can find and join some group for the elderly where you can spend most of your time sharing your life experiences and helping the people of your age in that group who may need some help. You can google about such groups in your area. Contact them and gain more information about such groups from the local law authorities. Verify thoroughly and then join the

If you’ve lost someone dear to you, I know it’s hard to cope with that pain, but you can still look for some purpose for your life and try to serve that purpose for the rest of your life. By doing this, you’ll be honoring your lost loved ones.

If you’ve lost your job, look for another job or think of some business, small or big, it doesn’t matter. Curtail your expenses until you find that other source of livelihood. Keep on developing the skills needed to accomplish your goals and dreams. Always be on that path of your dreams and goals even when things are moving slowly or seemingly there is no progress at all. Don’t give up. Your efforts and patience will pay off sooner or later.

There are many situations in life when you just end up concentrating on all the bad in that situation, and everything ends up bad for you. It’s time that you focus on the good in every situation. I mean think about this–isn’t there still light in your eyes? Isn’t there still breath in your lungs? Isn’t your body still healthy? Whenever you walk down the street, how many times do you see the people living or sleeping on the streets, still trying to survive even when they have no place to stay or food to eat? Is your situation worse than theirs? Of course not, you may not have millions of dollars right now, but you have all the things you need to survive and live well.

That girl or woman or that boy or man may not accept your love for him/her, but you still got you, and there are so many other people in your life who love you and care for your well-being like your parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. And you will always have yourself.

If someone’s bothering or bullying you unnecessarily, they don’t have any right to do so. Ask them to stop doing it or report it to the law. Talk and discuss such issues with the one you truly trust, a family member, friend, colleague, or teacher. Even if you’re the loneliest of the lonely person in the world, there will be at least one person or friend that you can trust and speak your heart to. And even if you don’t have anyone and you feel lonely all the time, enroll yourself in some good Samaritan group, where they help strangers in need of shelter, food, and clothing. It’s always nice to dedicate your life to bettering someone else’s life. When you try to help others, in the process, your own life gets better.

Follow your passion, whether it is acting, singing, dancing, painting, you-tubing, blogging, writing, cooking, or whatever it is. When you invest your time daily in your passion, that time becomes pleasurable and you don’t feel like life is some kind of unwanted load on you.

Watch movies. Movies for me are the greatest source of escape from all the troubles of my life. Listen to the music of your liking. When you hear good melodious music, you’re automatically cheered up. Writing is another way to uplift your low spirits. You don’t have to be grammatically thorough to be able to write well. Just sit and simply write down your thoughts. You’ll feel good after you’ve written something that really makes sense. And then, do it again. Practice it daily. Be creative with your life. Creativity makes life really interesting.

Of course, it’s always nice to seek professional medical help like from a psychologist or psychiatrist. Discuss your situation with that professional frankly and in total openness. If they prescribe you some medications, follow that course as prescribed by that professional. Keep on following up with them from time to time.

Go traveling places and talk to strangers. It really makes you feel good when you do that. Don’t worry about how much you have, just be thankful for what you have and keep on getting better at yourself to get what you need more. Make honest efforts and be patient until you get what you desire to get. It’s for you and you will get it sooner or later.

And if you or your loved one is terminally ill, death is inevitable, I perfectly understand the pain it causes to the sufferer and his/her loved ones. But, never give up hope. Continue to live by faith no matter what. Faith can work a miracle in your life. And even if it doesn’t make any miracle, it’ll definitely improve the quality of your life. So, never give up.

Finally, I’d like to give you some sentences, which I want you to recite while looking at yourself in the mirror as many times as you can every day:

1. I am my best friend and I will never abandon myself.

2. I’m confident and I love myself very much.

3. I’m healthy in my body and mind and I’m feeling so good.

4. My life is a precious and beautiful gift from the Creator and I cherish it very much. I’m going to cherish it for the rest of my time.

5. I’m grateful for all that I have and all that I’m going to have.

6. I’m always happy and at peace. No one or nothing bothers me anymore.

7. My current situation has so many positive aspects to it. I’m working on all of the negative aspects to turn them into positive ones.

I want you to say these sentences out loud to yourself by looking in the mirror as many times as you can each day of your life.

Please click and share this World Suicide Crisis Helpline link with all of your loved ones. Let’s save the precious lives of our loved ones. Also, please check out my article, How To Be Happy In Life, where I discuss some methods to make one’s life peaceful and happy.

Carry on living your life and never give up on yourself ever. You’re not alone. Help is always on the way. You just need to ask for it, and never hesitate to ask for it. It’s your right to live happily.

Never Give Up!

May the Angels of light always keep your life brightened with wisdom, happiness, and peace.

Disclaimer: The pictures used in this article belong to their copyrighted owners and are licensed.