My mother died last month at the age of 93. Active and mentally spry throughout her eighties, her 91st birthday marked a shocking physical depletion that coincided with a steady break from the world.
She was letting go.
First, she stopped summoning her computer guru every time a technical glitch interrupted her internet use, and then she stopped communicating with friends and family by email.
Next, I noticed she was using her landline exclusively, while her iPhone sat unused in her purse. After a year of fiddling with her new iPad, she made a gift of it to me.
The topic of suicide is a sensitive one. Talking about it can be frightening for some, even embarrassing, but since receiving a federal Youth Suicide Prevention grant, the staff at the Center for Health and Learning have discovered a willingness on the part of those personally affected by a...