A printable version of
"Reasons Not to Kill Yourself" from http://www.stardrift.net/survivor/reasons.html
REASONS NOT TO KILL YOURSELF
- because you deserve to live
- because your life has value, whether
or not you can see it,
- because it was not your fault,
- because you didn't choose to be
battered and used,
- because life itself is precious,
because they were and are wrong,
- because you are connected to each and
every other abuse survivor, and so your daily battle
automatically gives others hope and strength.
- because you will feel better,
eventually,
- because each time you confront despair
you get stronger .. you can't know now what you will
ultimately be able to do with this new morsel of
strength, what future battles you will be able to win,
- because if you die today you will
never again feel love for another human being, or trust,
or gratitude,
- because you will never again see
kindness and compassion in another's eyes
- because if you die today you will
never again see sunlight pouring through the leaves of a
tree, or a bird take flight, or feel the quality of light
in winter,
- because the seconds do not cease their
passing, because even if it feels like time has become an
unbearably heavy stone, it has not, and you only have to
endure,
- because you have already won .. you
have known the cleverness and resiliency and courage and
stubborn will to make it this far, and no one can take
that away,
- because the will to live is not a
cruel punishment, even if it feels like that at times: it
is a priceless gift.
- because your inner children need you,
they have no one else and their need is so great, and
because they deserve more than anyone to be healed and
comforted, they are true heroes against impossible odds.
- because you owe your inner children,
they are the reason you are here. If you die today you
will erase the meaning of their suffering and incredible
endurance, and that is too great a loss,
- because you already have the skills to
find your healing path, you have proven this over and
over again,
- because we need more warriors against
this evil,
- because we need survivors to offer
testament against this horror and despair,
- because no one knows better than you
the meaning of suffering, and the agony deepens the
heart,
- because you deserve the peace that
will come after the battle is won, and it will be won,
but only minute by minute - we must learn to let go of
the unconquerable,
- because we can all come together in
later years to laugh in their faces,
- because we will be able to show them
that even though they had all the power and strength and
ruthless cunning, even though we were only helpless,
innocent dependent children, we will have beaten them at
the game they so smugly thought they had mastered,
- because I am furious that we have to
suffer the pain of another's evil and filth
- because you too will one day feel
fury,
- because it is critical that you
survive.
....by Mari Collings
A poster and card with this
and beautiful artwork by Kore Loy Wildrekinde/McWhirter can be
ordered from SurvivorShip at: 3181 Mission #139
San Francisco, California 94110
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"I Have Survived"