i want to live
I want to share an experience that completely changed the way I think about this life. This is a deeply personal and sensitive subject, but I will be vulnerable and hope this message resonates with someone out there. My family went on a hike, and I was sitting alone in the car. I wasn’t sad or upset at all. In fact, I was happy to stay behind and spend some time studying. I’d rather they enjoy the hike without me than miss out because of me. While they were gone, I had time to reflect on something my mom asked me earlier that day. We had been talking about the “what ifs” of skydiving. What if the parachute doesn’t work? What if I’m not strapped in right? In an effort to make my brothers laugh, I jokingly said, “I hope it happens.” But deep down, a part of me genuinely wanted it. That part of me feels like a burden, like my death would be freeing. Not just freeing for me, but for everyone I love. In my mind, it seemed like a way to escape my future that I fear, the limitations of my bod...