Being There + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

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Are you in touch with your friends and family? I mean, really in touch? Yes, we have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, texts in addition to phone calls to instantaneously get into the loop. But if someone on your Friends list needed someone and you knew it, would you be there for them? Let's go a little further. If you knew that someone wasn't really into life and wanted to actually end it all, would you be there for them, at the risk of ending that friendship? 

We've heard a lot lately about people who are more than happy to help someone else end their own life, to the point of encouraging them to do it, providing instruments of death to do the deed, or just not acting on it when they had information. Now there is debate as to whether or not these individuals should or shouldn't be charged with manslaughter.  I don't want to get into that debate other than sharing a recent story of someone who made it his business to save a friend's life, even though he didn't stand to gain personally from it and who risked his own personal success in something he enjoyed in order to do so. 

Michael Bravo, a seventeen year old high school student was in the thick of the end of his school year, with a make up math test to do and right afterwards, playing in a soccer game for his local high school. He hadn't looked at his phone for several hours. But when he did, there were a ton of messages, all from one friend. She had just broken up with her boyfriend, was distraught, unable to handle, not many understanding people to talk to. She had taken the train from her town 30 miles away in order to talk. But since he had been tied up, he hadn't been in time to meet her. She had turned around and was heading back by the time he caught up with her. 

He told his coach that he had to leave the game, risking his player status. When he reached her, she sounded fuzzy and incoherent. She said she had taken some pills and was on her way back, that she was tired and wanted to rest her eyes. And she didn't answer after that, even though he yelled into his phone and repeatedly called. That's when he dialed 911 and told the Transit Authority what she looked like and that she was heading north on the FrontRunner train. "He described in exacting detail what his friend looked like, what she’d told him, what kind of condition she was in, that he was afraid she was trying to end her life. They needed to find her and help her."

Image - Susan Hayward

After waiting an agonizing hour, he called back again, with no news, and then he called again and again....until the transit operator yelled at him to stay off the line. Finally after 10 p.m. an agent called to tell him they had found his friend, slumped over at the end of the transit line, unresponsive but alive. They rushed her to the local hospital, then to a Regional Hospital where she was in critical condition. But with time probably would be OK.  They told him that if he hadn't called and been persistent, they wouldn't have known where to look for her. 

Michael Bravo gave up some of his time to extend the time of his friend
Photo Credit

At first his friend was very angry at him, feeling like he had taken away an opportunity to get away from all her problems. But later, she was glad that he had interceded telling him, "Thank you, thank you, for not giving up on me." 

I hope that this can be me, that I can be there when someone really needs me. I believe the gift of life isn't one to give up over seemingly overwhelming problems and difficulties. I believe that "It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. But that things will eventually straighten out. And there is great purpose in our struggle in life." --Boyd K. Packer

I'm sure that this girl will eventually get over the traumatic breakup of her relationship and that in future days, she will remember the friend who didn't give up on her and who gave up and risked a lot personally so she could still have her life!
Read more about this story here
 Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)