Paying it Forward: Sunrise Comes Anew Each Day #122
Suicide leaves others missing a loved one. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night or chat online.
Jack Browne, Wichita Falls Times Record News, Sunday June 29, 2025
TRN Editor’s note: This article discusses suicide. If you or anyone you know could be struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night or chat online; The Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line, 1800-273-8255, press 1; or the Crisis Text Line provides free confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week via text message to people in crisis when they text “HELLO” to 741741.
Fifty-five years ago, Tuesday June 23, 1970 was a normal day — until it wasn’t.
My two brothers and I were enjoying summer; we had music lessons Tuesday afternoons. Mom had dropped us off at a neighbor’s rural home a quarter of a mile away from our Euless, Texas home. Dad was at work an hour away.
Then 2 p.m. came and went. We were late for music lessons. Several other neighbors came to the neighbor’s home where we were. When we asked insistently, we learned that our mother had died by suicide, and Dad was with the police.
She was 39 years old and her 40th birthday was two weeks away.
I was angry at my mom, thinking how selfish the act was. For 30 years these thoughts persisted, impacting me in ways I could see and others I didn’t acknowledge.
Counseling helped, and my understanding of mental illness was reinforced by my own bouts with depression. I can only imagine the pain my mother felt thinking of no other path than suicide to relieve the suffering.
The advice of the 70’s, ‘deal with it, get over it,’ gave way to a better understanding of treating mental health issues as insurance coverage evolved. Today mental health care is available just as one visits a doctor for a bad cold or broken bone.
Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in 2022 in U.S. with 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
90% of the 1.5 million who attempt suicide survive. Males make up nearly 80% of suicides, but only 50% of population – a rate four times higher than females.
By age, suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year-olds in the U.S. People 85 and older have the highest rates of suicide at 22.7 per 100,000.
Asking my doctor of his experiences, he shared that a few patients had died by suicide.
Noting he wished they had called him for help. He shared, “It is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”
I agree noting the “Sun comes up anew every day.”
Let others around you know your love and need for them in your lives.
Jack Browne is a community activist and former technology engineer, sales and marketing executive at Motorola and other top tech companies.