“La vida es como la espuma, por eso hay que darse como el mar” is a famous quote from the Mexican film Y Tu Mamá También, directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

It translates to: “Life is like foam, that’s why we must give ourselves like the sea.”

These are the last words spoken by one of the main characters, who embraced a reckless, impulsive, and free-spirited way of living after a single turn of events made her realize life is too fleeting to be taken too seriously or too cautiously. What I took with me from this film is how, even in tragedy, there is beauty everywhere when you view things with a gentle eye, because life is too versatile to be one thing or the other.

Beyond film, the aftermath of loss is often overlooked, even though the silence of those who are left behind becomes deafening. 

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Rooms that haven’t been touched since their departure.

Last-minute unplanned funerals.

The fathers who never got to walk their daughters down the aisle.

Children who are left to grow up angry, confused, and resentful.

The widows and widowers.

The missed phone calls.

The best friends, sisters, brothers.

The millions of unanswered questions. Yet life still has hope, love, and laughter to offer.

Suicide leaves behind an aftermath that is not just felt but carried heavily by those left behind. In the absence of people, they are still with us. People want to know why and how, clinging to explanations that may never come.

We’ve all heard of the “butterfly effect” or the “burnt toast theory,” those quirky phrases used to explain how small, random moments can lead to bigger things.

In the shadow of suicide, these things remind us that life is fragile and unpredictable.

Death will come one day, that’s a given.

But choosing to leave the one life you have like this is not the solution. For now, let your skin wrinkle and your hair turn gray. Let birthdays and anniversaries pass by. The smell of coffee in the morning. The feeling of making someone laugh when they are crying.

Go tell someone you like them! Quit your job, cry about quitting your job, eat something you’ve never tried before. Let life take you where it will. Accept these moments, not as burdens, but as blessings, as challenges you survived and stories you’ll tell and laugh about later on in life when you’re fat and old. You have yet to meet all the people you’re going to love and all the people who will love you back. Growing old is a privilege not everyone will get to experience, so let it happen to you.

One of Robin Williams’ last lines as an actor before he passed away due to suicide.

Suicide Awareness Week isn’t about quick slogans or performative hashtags and posting on social media.

I’ve always had Robin Williams, whose laughter lit up generations, in the back of my mind. Even the best at giving advice, making you laugh, and wearing the warmest smiles can be having silent battles, showing the importance of mental health.

Check in on those around you. It’s about conversations we’re often too afraid to start. It’s about checking in on your quiet friend, your overworked coworker, the loved one who says “I’m fine” a little too quickly. It’s about reminding ourselves and each other that asking for help is not a weakness, it’s survival. The weight of the aftermath of losing someone to suicide is inexplicable.

If you take anything from this last Suicide Awareness Month, let it be that growing old is a gift. Be excited to see what tomorrow may bring. Give yourself like the sea. If you can’t choose it for yourself, choose it for the ones who will keep your room untouched, your number saved in their phone, your memory carved into their daily lives. 

You matter.

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If you are struggling, help is always available.
Call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
Georgia Southern University students can contact the Counseling Center:

• Statesboro: 912-478-5541 
• Armstrong/Liberty: 912-344-2529 

Same-day appointments are available for urgent issues—-reach out. Someone will answer.