Seonaid's letter

A mum writing to her son, with the simple wish that someone had known to ask if Dylan was thinking about suicide.

Dylan,

I miss you!

Somehow it feels like yesterday and 10 years all at once.

Whatever the day is, however angry or understanding I might feel, however upset or accepting I am, however sad or even happy I might be, I miss you, every single day.

I think about your beautiful smile and wish I could hear your laugh again.

I think about the incredible strength it took for you to keep fighting every day and I wish everyone had understood how brave you really were.

I think about how alone you must have felt, and I wish that you’d been able to share what you were thinking and feeling.

I know how difficult it must be to put those thoughts into words, and I know how much strength it would have taken to say the words out loud, but I know being able to talk with someone would make a difference.

You are not alone, talking will help.

I wish more than anything, that someone, anyone, had known how to ask if you were thinking about suicide.

I know people worry that they’ll say the wrong thing and it might not seem like the right thing to do, but starting that conversation would let you know ‘You’re not alone’.

Starting a conversation can be the first step in helping to prevent suicide.

because I wasn’t ready to let you go.