Asking you to support a good cause is not hard – you are all generous people who support good causes. I think it is hard because I want to make the need real for you. To do that, I feel like I need to go back to that painful time after losing Jesse so that I can clearly express to you the anguish that I think he felt and certainly that we felt after losing him. And going to that place is so hard. Most of the time, I push that all to the side so that I can function in the world. This doesn’t mean that I don’t think about Jesse – I do every day. But letting myself feel the pain that we felt after he was gone and some of the pain that he felt before he died by suicide is different. This pain is still a reality for many of our youth who struggle to feel like they belong here on this earth. And it is a reality for the parents, families, and friends who lose someone they love to suicide. My birthday was March 20th. I am 64 years old. I was not quite 50 when Jesse died. He liked to tease me, telling his friends that his mom was “really old – like 50 or something.” Although it has been almost 14½ years, I still miss him every day. I hear songs on the radio that remind me of him. I see a train and remember how much Jesse loved trains. Even passing the bagel shop is a memory trigger, not necessarily in a bad way. It just reminds me of the Jesse-sized hole in my heart.
My birthday wish is that ALL young people who are struggling to feel like they belong on this earth will get the support they need to know that they DO belong here, that they are worthy of love, respect and happiness, and that even if they are not feeling it right now, there is hope for the future. I hope you will consider joining David and me at the Boulder Reservoir on Sunday, May 4th for the Rise Against Suicide Emerge 5K. Funds raised at the event provide free counseling for at risk youth. In over 16 years, Rise has never lost one of those kids to suicide. Please join Team Jesse 2025 to participate in the 5K and to raise funds for our most at risk kids to be able to access the therapy they need in the moments when they need it most.
You can use this link to register for the 5K and/or donate to Team Jesse 2025. If you do not live nearby, you can be a virtual participant. Registration is free. Team Jesse walks in memory of Jesse and so many others.https://givebutter.com/c/Emerge5K/teams/team-jesse-2025
With love,
Andi
