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onnawufei — The Question Never Answered
Published: 2011-02-03 03:00:30 +0000 UTC; Views: 1250; Favourites: 44; Downloads: 0
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Description
During a recent trip to one of Charleston's many cemeteries I stumbled upon a grave I'd never noticed before. It was pretty small and didn't have a big elaborate headstone, but it was evident that whoever was buried there was loved. All around the grave were things left by people who missed the teenage girl who had died way too soon. Among those things was a letter that I couldn't help but read. The letter was from a friend of the girl buried there, and the words "Why did you leave us?" immediately jumped out at me. The girl buried there had killed herself even though she was only fourteen years old.As someone who attempted suicide at a young age, this really hit home with me. I have no idea what was wrong in this girl's life, but whatever it was I'm pretty positive that it wasn't worth her ending her life over. If there is a heaven, and if so I refuse to believe people won't be let in because they ended their own life, I hope she now knows how much she meant to the people in her life. And if she happens to notice a weird 29 year old wannabe photographer whose life she touched without even meeting, then that's cool too.
I thought quite hard on whether I should post any photos I'd taken of the letter, and I ended up deciding to do it because of how it affected me. I've been intentionally vague about everything else though. I'm not giving out her name or what cemetery she was buried in. I also didn't edit any of the pictures I'd taken of her grave or of the various things left there. If by some strange coincidence the person who wrote this happens to stumble upon my page and wants me to remove it I will.
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My art is mine. Not yours! Do not steal, repost, claim as yours, etc.
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Comments: 18
That... gives me anxiety.
Fourteen.
She was so young and probably had so much to live for.
When I read your description, I couldn't help thinking that that could've been me.
I'm glad my attempt at fourteen failed...
Knowing what I know now, I could never take my own life. It would be far too damaging to my family and friends. Even in the afterlife, assuming there is one, I could never forgive myself.
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OMG :,( What a horrible thing to have happened and yet inspirational. I can understand this, gave me goosebups down my arms.
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Wow... This really hits home. I've been feeling extremely depressed and even suicidal lately, and this really puts things into perspective for me... This question is the only thing I can really see now.
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The message, the composition, everything. This is so amazing. You're so brave and admirable for carrying on the story. I hope you don't mind if I do the same. People need to realise life's worth.
It's so hard to put into words how this hit me. But it did. Really really deep down. Thank you.
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Those poor girls... Her friend must be in so much pain and she must have been left wondering what she could have done to change the girl's mind...
And she must have given up on life, even though there would have been so much for her to live for.. This is just heartbreaking.
This touches me even more because I have been suicidal and in the moments when it was worst I didn't really think about the people who love me.. Maybe she didn't think about her friends, her family or the good things the future could bring... Poor girl..
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Such a poignant photograph... the crumpled paper and faded writing adds to the sense of sadness too...
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That's how my brother felt when he found out about what went on with me last year, and now that I think about it I can't believe I could ever have thought about doing that to him.
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That's how I think about it. No matter how shitty things get I'll always have a reason to live in the people who would miss me. I realized fairly recently (last year sometime) that living for someone else is better than not living at all.
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Yeah, I don't think you really realize the consequences of that particular action until later
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This is beautiful.
I understand it as well. I attempted years ago when I was younger as well and I can see something similar to this being left on my headstone if I had. It's something small like that that makes you think and makes you glad that you changed your mind. There's so much more out there. It's sad when you hear about these younger children and how they've ended their lives. You only wish afterwards that there was someone out there that would have been able to reach out to them and show them the goodness there is in the world
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That's almost bitter-sweet. I hope that in some way she's been able to see and feel how much people cared and still care for her. I've been through lots of low times where I've either thought or attempted suicide... But I'm glad I didn't go through with it when I was 15, 18, or even now. I would have missed so many things worth seeing and living for.
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this is amazing, and that one question is really the only thing my eyes see right now..........
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It really is kind of weird how that sentence seems to jump right off the page. The letter was written on a regular piece of notebook paper and covered most of the page.
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It does, and it is. hit home. Good job. <3
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