I read somewhere that every 16 minutes

give or take a few seconds

a suicide is commited. 

 

What a fact, huh? 

 

A life taken

because he or she feels they cannot go on

because others cannot see the pain

that is so expertly masked

by a fake smile and a fake laugh

 

More often than not, 

you cannot easily tell when someone is faking a smile. 

but if you listen to the words they speak

and the jokes they tell

the truth will be waiting in between the lines

just hoping that someone will catch on

and offer a hand. 

 

And if a hand is not offered... 

a life is no longer living

a friend, a child,

a HUMAN BEING

is no longer alive

because nobody took the initiative to say

"Can I help in any way?" 

"Are you okay?" 

 

Nobody will get angry with you for caring. 

So offer a hand. 

Take the initiative. 

Don't let the person you care about take his or her own life

all because they thought

that no one cared.