How to save a life (CD67)

*This blog post has heavy subject matter content*

Today has been a decent day, nothing to fantastic and nothing to devestating well compared to normal. The sun was shining today and that made my heart sing.

On another note, have you ever saved a life? or helped influence someone to stay alive? I believe I may have helped someone last night. This is the story: for anonimity this person will be refered to as "BB."

The backstory:
BB is a person I have known for a long time, we used to be best friends. We spent all our time together and did everything together. There was never a time I pictured my life without her in it. Well time changes things, and people. We grew apart and wanted different things, I became a mother and wife and BB became an independent, resourceful woman. We eventually fell off from each other ceasing to speak or spend time with each other. Intentionally and not. 6 months or so ago we decided that almost 10 years of friendshp shouldn't just be tossed to the wayside and we started sporadically checking in with each other. 
Things were going wonderfully for us both (on the outside). BB became engaged, assumed custody over a younger family member and was in the process of buying a home. On the inside something else was happening. 

Last night around 11:30ish I was laying down in bed with Makaia, half assedly trying to get her to sleep, as she used me as a trampoline   and watched DocMcStuffins gleefully, I was purusing facebook, complaining to all who would listen about my anger over Alaska's own Adriana Latonio being sent home from American Idol (I stopped watching years ago) furthermore putting a swift end to me watching it the rest of the season. I was just getting ready to log off when BB im'd me. She asked me what was up and I told her I was attempting to put monster to bed.
Long story short, my friend had been contemplating ending her life. She told me that she had only thought about it a couple times before and that she knew I knew what it is like to be in that place. She told me that the reason she reached out to me is because this time when she had the thought, she had imagined how she would accomplish the act and what she would say to those she loved and left behind.

Suicide.

My beautiful "happy" friend. I asked her what had been going on lately, she told me the things that had been going on and I validated her sadness and frustrations. I also told her that it's ok to get help and want to live life without feeling depressed and sad, but that its ok to reach out and want to get better. I gave her some resources and told her that therapy is good, for one hour being able to get out all the frustrations, hurts and angers helps.  Keeping all of those feelings bottled up really is toxic waste in our bodies.

I also put her on contract with me. That if she felt like at anytime she would be a danger to herself or planned on attempting she would call me, night or day.

I am so glad that I took an applied suicide intervention course. It came natural and wasn't forced, I just knew I wanted to help my friend. It should never get so bad you feel death is the only way out, because it's not, in reality you are cheating yourself out of all the miracles and good things in life that you may have had the opportunity to enjoy as well as leaving your loved ones and friends devestated and mortally wounded.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide please reach out. There is always a different choice.