“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” – Proverbs 12:25
Every life is precious. But recently, ten people thought they were the exception.
Each one stood alone at the top of Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland, England – staring at the water below – convinced they were 105 feet away from every problem being solved. There were no other solutions to be found on that bridge.
But there was a small note that each inconsolable person found, secured to the massive structure.
“Place your hand on your heart,” it read. “Can you feel it? You are alive for a reason, so don’t give up.”
Another day… another desperate person standing on the bridge… another note is noticed.
“Even though things are difficult, your life matters; you’re a shining light in a dark world, so just hold on.”
In just two months, ten people have read these notes and decided not to jump. There will be more lives saved in the months to come. That’s because dozens of these notes keep showing up on the bridge. The author? A teenager they never met.
18-year-old Paige Hunter is the person whose kindness has meant the difference between life and death.
“It’s just amazing,” she said, “the response it has had.”
Paige is part of a ripple effect. She was inspired to write the messages after seeing people do a similar thing on another bridge in a nearby town. Many probably walked by those notes and thought, ‘What a nice gesture.’ Paige saw them and thought, ‘I’m going to do that too.’
Each note is more than just “encouraging” to people who feel that life isn’t worth living anymore. It also has a suicide hotline for an emotional support group called “Samaritans” – which is the perfect description for this young woman.
After hearing about the people who turned around on that bridge, the police gave her a Special Commendation. A local museum used a 3D printer to create a mini replica of her holding one of her notes. Paige called it “overwhelming and surreal.”
“I wasn’t doing this for an award,” she said. “It was just something that I wanted to do.”
Although she just started college, Paige already knows her passion: a career in mental health.
Paige knows she didn’t take away anyone’s problems. She just let them know somebody cared.
As Paul wrote to the Philippians, it’s important to think about things that are honorable, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, and worthy of praise.
That also describes the potential we all have as God’s creation. We are indeed “alive for a reason.” A little reminder always helps.
Ed Doney, Staff Writer
