Humanity, is that scary and inexplicable moment when you look into another’s eyes and understand that they have seen their fair share of wars and carry the aftermath in scars. Our eyes carry the marks of our souls, although society trains us to ignore the outlasting details that paint the world.

It’s in this moment that you recognize that others have the same eyes as your own and maybe even the same fate, in which you cannot save them from. That those people have carried the world on their backs within their memories, as modern day Titan’s, as Atlas.

If the weight of the world becomes too much, it will crush them entirely.

Our greatest war is waged inside of us- fought without metal, fought without bullets; we are battered by all of our years of experience, praying for hope without words.

Hope is what knocks on your door the minute before you lose everything you ever believed in. It comes without a sound in the middle of the night, leaving a mark in its presence that triumphs even the ground below you. When it comes, however small the message or however quiet the sound, it becomes your saving grace and relief will swallow the remains of your heart.

If you are holding onto your last glimpse of hope, I promise you that if you open your eyes long enough to see your eyes inside another’s you will be okay. Even though you‘ll  never see that person’s darkest moments; in which they have cried the same tears and fallen to their knees holding on to scattered dreams, you’ll understand that the world cries before you and feels your pain.You will never be alone.

Let me ask you this: could you imagine what a little hope could have done to save someone else? Can you imagine a 10 year old child, who has not even begun to live or understand the vast complexity of human emotions, ever wanting to end their own life?

Sadly, statistics listed in the CDC article, “Suicide Rates Rising across the U.S.,” report that 10 years old are the youngest age someone starts to try and take their own life.

“In 2016, nearly 45,000 Americans age 10 or older died by suicide.” They listed the causes as, “Relationship problems or loss, substance misuse; physical health problems; and job, money, legal or housing stress often contributed to risk for suicide.”

If you think that stress and thoughts don’t kill, take a look at the collected data from the CDC: “Twenty-five states had suicide rate increases of more than 30 percent.”

In reading this report, I couldn’t even begin to comprehend how many of those numbers must have been children. I couldn’t imagine how it felt to the tear stained faces of their parents as they outlive their children. Finding hope in thoughts is everything.

If you lose belief, you will lose your capacity to dream even in the smallest acts, such as crafting and holding onto a dream when 11:11 pm hits the world. It may seem childish to dream upon things or believe in magic, yet we teach these things to children because it’s those little moments that teach them everything the need to survive- to keep them dreaming no matter the state of the world. Saying I wish, without saying maybe, one day leads to the build up within your heart that you have to release through action.

Your thoughts have more power than you might think. Your thoughts can kill you, that’s what suicide is. It’s the inability to find hope or break the harmful repetitive thoughts that consume or control you.

  In you, I see a friend, no matter your age or where you come from and I hope that in the moment you need someone the most that you will see the same. For now, I’ll just tell you to follow your heart, because it will lead you to what will save you- hope and one day your dreams.