As the second (or third?) wave of Covid rages on in various parts of the world, even parts that are gradually re-opening are not completely fine.  We are still under an unspoken spell, the kind that can kill especially our younger generation.  My friend Simon sent me an article while I was in New York with the family celebrating my son’s graduation from Columbia law school.  I was disturbed while reading and walking in Central Park, and really wanted to do something for the family and perhaps best is to relay the article here and offer my assistance in spreading the awareness.  https://people.com/human-interest/grieving-dad-whose-12-year-old-son-died-of-suicide-warns-parents-no-one-saw-this-coming/

Young Hayden took his own life at the start of pandemic lock down, not able to meet friends at school and have any social activities.  The sense of hopelessness is probably a strong sentiment among youth during pandemic.  His family is not poor by any means but they never saw this coming.  Hayden was a leader in school and played football; social, and liked by his friends.  Not a picture of depressed youth, and yet it happened.  In Clark County Nevada, since Covid started, 24 students have taken their own lives, almost 3 times of norm.  Covid is killing our youth in more ways than one, and we need to be more aware in talking and guiding our youth.  

Dad Brad put out a video to share what happened and calls for all parents to be alert of the mental health issue (https://haydenscorner.org/almost-thirteen/).  He also created a foundation (https://haydenscorner.org/) and now lives a very changed life since the tragedy.  We cannot tell the mental trauma from outside, perhaps it is necessary to explore more internal thoughts?  Coincidentally, saw someone posting today that ‘I rather hear your depressed thoughts than you are dead’ or something to that effect.  

Crude but true.  We may not like to hear depressed thoughts, but if that is where you are at, talk to someone.  In buddhism teaching, we say there is no constant, so no matter how bad (or good) things seem, it will pass; tomorrow is always another day and you don’t know what is in store.  We can only control our own intention and sow seeds of good deeds so we can reap the rewards later in this (or next) life.  Another buddhism teaching is Samsara, loosely translating to reincarnation, which viewed negatively means repeated cycles of birth, misery and death caused by karma. But it also means that our karma changes according to our own deeds and that familiar souls travel through life in very connected ways.  Karma and Samsara are actually inseparable. But we can learn to control our intention and deeds, in turn, impacting our karma and samsara.  Please like, comment, share and follow.