We've all experienced a low point that's left us distressed at some time in our lives.
While we all react, handle and recover from such experiences differently, there is one common thread no doubt everyone can relate to — a supportive, positive friend or family member who helped us through dark times to reach what alone seemed like an impossibly dim light at the end of an eternally long tunnel.
A simple smile can go a long way towards improving the mood of a person who's feeling blue. Of course the opposite is true as well — anyone who's encountered a frowny-faced, grumpy-looking curmudgeon can almost feel that individual's negativity radiating like a toxic cesspool.
It's human nature. No one gravitates towards the person in a crowd who has a dark cloud over his or her head — even though such people could probably most use a friendly wave and a smile. We do, however, find ourselves captivated by people who exude a confident, positive and welcoming attitude. Body language speaks volumes — arguably more than words — and smiles are akin to a friendly ‘hi, how are you?' while angry frowns are more like ‘take a hike, bozo!' or much worse.
It has been said there are two ways to go through life — as a thermometer or as a thermostat. As a thermometer, a person reacts wildly up and down depending on what others say about the individual. But as a thermostat, that person sets his or her own temperature, so to speak.
Of course that's perhaps easier said than done, but it's nevertheless a wise philosophy to strive towards. A person has nothing to lose by facing the day with a positive attitude. You never know whom you might meet or cross paths with throughout your day, so best not to burn bridges before even getting a chance to cross them.
Besides, a passing nod and wave to a random person on the street might turn his or her day around. There are numerous anecdotal accounts of people struggling with depression who have reconsidered taking a regrettable and irreversible action following nothing more than a brief encounter with another person who smiled at them.
This Saturday, Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, and the fourth annual Walk in Memory Walk for Hope will be held at the Sundre Elks Hall.
Although suicide is not endemic in Sundre, it is “an unfortunate part of our reality. It's not something that we're hearing about every week or maybe every month, but it's there, kind of lurking in the background,” said Cherie Johnson, the event's coordinator as well as the children, youth and family program coordinator at Greenwood Neighbourhood Place.
Experiencing suicidal feelings is nothing to be ashamed of, and people who are going through such an ordeal need to know they are not alone and that support is available, she said.
And perhaps the simplest form of support that we all can effortlessly offer is to keep smiling, even if you don't know the person. You never know what someone else is going through and you'll never ruin a person's day by being friendly, but you just might bring a ray of hope to someone struggling to find any.
