Letter spurs powerful message: ‘Suicide is not an end to your problems. It is merely an end’ – Farm Progress
By: Gil Gullickson (Editor, Wallaces Farmer)
Even the toughest seasons on the farm can wear down the strongest among us. In this Farm Progress feature, Wallaces Farmer editor Gil Gullickson revisits an unsigned, handwritten letter he received 26 years ago after a farmer's death by suicide, and pairs it with guidance from Carol Anderson, program director for Rural Minds, on recognizing when a neighbor or loved one is struggling and how to start the conversation.
Anderson walks through the early warning signs, like a normally outgoing person withdrawing from church or farm meetings, and explains why a direct, caring check-in can matter more than people realize. She also outlines what to do if someone shares that they are thinking of harming themselves, including staying with them and contacting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.