What's Your Breaking Point?

      

In the article, "Letter to my daughter (in the wake of senseless tragedy)" by Vicky Bell, Bell encourages her daughter that nothing ruins your life forever. She uses the example of the recent suicide by a homosexual college student that was a victim of extreme torment. She says that if he would have waited another month or two it may have died down a bit, but now his life is over because he didn’t consider that.

I can relate to this. My mom was telling me today about when she was growing up and how her parents raised her; in their eyes every B was a failure-you could never recover from it. I guess that might be why we have been raised in a manner that any punishment we receive, we can get out of by making a few sacrifices- nothing is the end of the world; there is always a way out.

The stresses on the average student today are impeccable. When I say that a person would typically assume I am talking about high school or college, but even elementary students feel the wrath of society’s expectations. My fourth grade brother sometimes has even more homework than me. He wouldn’t want me to share this on a public website (but he will never find out)-he cries every night worrying about grades. In fourth grade my only worry was about catching cooties from the boy sitting next to me.

The stresses and expectations of people scares me to death. Will it be twenty times worse in 5 years? I am hearing more and more stories about teen suicide lately; I just think to myself- what it my breaking point? At what point would I bring myself to do that? From now on I will just think off what Bell tells us, “Nothing ruins your life forever. NOTHING.”