July 9, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: It is so heart-wrenching to hear of so many of our teenagers committing suicide.
Teenagers have so much more stress on them with drugs and bullying, etc., put before them today than when I was growing up. So much has changed through the years that life is such a challenge for teenagers. Television is filled with so much violence and bloodshed. The news is depressing when you turn it on with someone getting shot or stabbed every day. Nobody feels really safe anywhere anymore. The internet and social media can have its disadvantages too.
But suicide is not the way out. That does not stop their troubles. The soul lives on and goes back to the creator that gave it to them. Dying is not the end. It is only the beginning of life after death. Life never stops with the death of the body.
Please talk to your teenager and find out what is going on in their minds and try to understand what they are going through. Watch them for signs of disturbance that is not usual for them. Let them know that Jesus loves them and wants to help them if they will only turn to Him. He can give them peace and comfort. They don’t have to live with their fears. He is there for them. Just give Him a chance.
I pray for all teenagers every day. This goes for anyone who could be thinking suicide.
THELMA CLEMENTS Rockbridge County
