friend halfway around the world can’t bring you chicken soup or too many casseroles when you’re sick or a loved one dies. Social media can be great, but unless you actually spend time with the “friends,” you’re not connecting on a deeper level. Loneliness is one of the reasons that sui-


cide among young people is a rising epidemic. Kids are isolated for various reasons. Some are bullied, shunned or persecuted for their sexual identity. Some kids are not included in a group and don’t feel they fit in anywhere. vIt is com- pletely unacceptable for anyone to be treated in a way that makes them want to take their own lives! For kids to be lonely is unimaginable to some. We assume they make friends at school, but a lot of kids don’t. For a young person without all the skills they need, life can be extremely painful and scary. Suicide is one of the biggest fears for a parent, and one of the worst tragedies in life.


According to the Jason Foundation, sui-


cide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24, the second leading cause of death for col- lege-age youth and ages 12-18. Each day in our nation there is an average of over 3,041 attempts of suicide by young people grades 9-12. Much younger kids are attempting and committing sui- cide as well. I had a friend whose 11-year-old son committed suicide. He was bullied at school and by his dad and stepmom. He felt alone and hope- less.


The elderly is the second highest group to


commit suicide, following adults aged 45-54. Men over the age of 85 are four times more likely to commit suicide than any other group. Some rea- sons an elderly person may take his or her life in- clude dementia, illness, financial instability, alcohol or drug abuse, and of course, depression and loneliness. Of the maybe 20 elderly people I have


cared for over the past 7 years, there was only one I can remember who was not on an antidepres- sant. And I know for a fact, having spent a lot of time with them in their homes and often being one of very few, or the only person they inter- acted with “socially,” they were lonely. They had usually lost mobility, so their activities were lim- ited. Often their families were far away and either didn’t come to visit often, didn’t offer to take their parent in, the parent refused to move or they


If you’re a musician, out on the road by


yourself, pounding the pavement, there may not be a lot of opportunities to truly connect with oth- ers. Sure, you’re playing for people, and they may feel the emotions pouring out of your music, if they aren’t engrossed in their beer and the people they’re with. Some may talk to you after your set. But you’re probably not discussing how you and your girlfriend/wife broke up because you’re never home and she got lonely and found some- one else. Or you’re setting up your gigs and talk- ing to the venue staff. But you’re probably not telling them about how beautiful the sunset was over the mountains on the way there and how it made you homesick, or how your electricity got cut off and your pipes froze, flooding your house, and you have to deal with that when you get home in three weeks. Those are the conversations we want to


have with people we know really care about us. We want a history with people. We want to know how that person ticks and if we can trust them. We want to have someone who will go to our house and deal with the flood for us. We want people we can do the things we enjoy with. Hik- ing with a friend is safer than hiking alone and can be more fun. Some people want someone who likes to have dinner and go to a movie, or the other way around. My younger son apparently did some re-


were estranged. Some didn’t have children and their spouse was gone, their friends were all gone or they couldn’t get out by themselves. They often didn’t feel well, etc. It was painful to watch. A person should not live a long life, get to the end and wind up forgotten, alone and wanting to die.


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