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An increasing number of Galveston residents are on the hunt for the adolescent who wrote the heartbreaking letter that washed up on the shore earlier this month. Their goal is not to expose the writer’s identity but to reassure them that they are not alone and that their words matter.
Even though I’m just thirteen years old, I already feel unloved and unwanted. I also feel that life and death are meaningless, or like someone is holding me underwater and hoping I drown.
Another letter/poem, this one titled “Why?”, is on the opposite side of the page. Even though the author has a roof over their head and isn’t terminally ill, they nevertheless feel as if someone is suffocating them until they finally snap and tell them to stop.
“Why am I feeling down?,” it asks in the end. “WHY!!!”
The National Organization to Prevent Suicide
Galveston Island Beach Patrol resiliency and leadership trainer Loree Pryor reported that a lifeguard discovered the message on his truck after stopping to assist someone.
She received it at a recent debriefing from the lifeguard. Upon deciding to make the letter public, Pryor shared it with a friend at the Southeast Texas chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, who then shared it on the organization’s Facebook page.
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“I just felt sad that this person felt very much alone,” he added. It brought back memories of my struggles as a teenager and the unique emotions that came with that time in my life. I simply felt that this individual desperately wanted to find a connection with someone.
Even on the beach patrol, the letter had an effect.
“I am truly amazed and proud of the caring reaction from my crew,” Chief Peter Davis stated.
While posting on Facebook, the AFPS made it clear that “this is not a suicide letter.” Volunteer board member and co-chair of the chapter’s yearly Hike for Hope 5K walk Stephanie Waltman noted that the stigma associated with the word “suicide” discourages individuals from getting treatment or simply discussing the issue.
“Suicide is so taboo in our society,” she recounted. Suicide carries a heavy social taboo, and many bereaved individuals are reluctant to discuss the circumstances behind their loved one’s death. Reducing the stigma associated with AFSP is a major goal. We aimed for the letter to be approachable enough that recipients would be tempted to read it rather than ignore it.
“We hear that from our survivors and from our family members of people who have lost loved ones, that they either make up stories or they don’t say how somebody passed away because there’s such a stigma,” he said.
Tragically, the writer of the letter could never know the depth of the outpouring of compassion and generosity it sparked. One lengthy Facebook commenter shared, “There is no magic age where you get all the answers,” while the other offered further commentary. The difficulties you’re experiencing right now will shape you into an even more formidable individual down the road. However, Pryor expressed hope that it will resonate with those going through the same things.
“I hope they recognize that they can reach out for help and that they can see resources that are near them and that to recognize that they truly aren’t alone,” added the woman. “There are people who care, even though sometimes it feels like we’re all alone.”
Local resources that are easy to reach include the Teen Health Center in Galveston ISD, the Texas Youth Helpline at 1-888-361-2980, and the national suicide/crisis hotline at 988. (You can also text both of these numbers.) Never be reluctant to seek for assistance; that is the crux of the matter, Waldman said. It will be noticed.
“The biggest thing for somebody who’s struggling themselves is to be vulnerable and transparent and talk with somebody—anybody,” she pointed out. “For them to trust and believe that people care and they want to help.”
