Pushed to the Edge!

Have you ever found yourself being pushed to the edge?  Many of us have and thank goodness there has been an Angel among us humans here to catch our fall just like she had one today. 

Early this evening, my good friend Don  Samuels, who is a fabulous school counselor for the San Diego Unified School District,  found himself literally trying to persuade this young woman from off the ledge of a bridge.  To his dismay, she wouldn't comply so he immediately called 911.  The authorities arrived soon after, and they were able to convince her from off the edge of that very high and frightening bridge.  What a great ending to this story right now, but time can only tell what will happen to this young lady. 

I was very intrigued and inspired by his story and I messaged him to ask him if I could use one of his pictures for my blog.  He responded soon after that I could and that he had tears in his eyes as he drove home thinking of what this woman could be experiencing in her life at this time to make her take such a risk.  Don has a huge heart for human life and I too felt for that woman through his own empathy.  

So have you been driven to that ledge or edge of life?  Statistics show that many people actually have, its the shame of being criticized and being shunned that keeps them from admitting it.  There is also a religious condemnation and a social taboo attached to such drastic action as wanting to take your own life.  

It's interesting because I can admit that I've literally been on that bridge in that picture above many times to get to either Torrey Pines or Del Mar.  But just like her, I've also been on a symbolic bridge pushed to edge contemplating whether its worth it or not to go on with this life.   I too, like her, had someone there to help me see the best in me and to have faith that the future would get better.  It wasn't easy of course, it was a long road to restore some type of self dignity.  

For example, a major memory that used to burn me to the core of my soul was parent night my senior year of high school and I had no one to stand with me or by me on that football field.  Every other football player had someone with them and I was alone.  I knew the community cared about me, but it was a grand reminder that I had come from a broken family and it further reinforced that my existence had little to no meaning.  That night, I couldn't be consoled even though my neighbor had scooted over to stand with me and my aunt that raised me showed up after all, but a bit late.  My head wasn't in the game and I didn't even want to be there anymore.  I actually got hurt that night and I would be out for four games with a strained knee.  I still think that if it wasn't for me getting hurt that game, I don't know what I would've done that night.  Instead, I was made to feel like a part of something bigger than myself by my coaches, especially coach Vela and coach Pena.  Two men that I will always admire.  I was given so much love also from my friends and their families while I healed that I felt that I would be doing them a dis-service if I gave up.  

I wasn't out of the woods just yet, I still had to do a lot of work on myself in order to break out of the victim mentality in order to become an empowered soul.  It took years of re-programming my mind to start truly believing that I was the creator of my own reality.  

I know many of you have gone through or are going through some rough times right now, but I can guarantee you that there is something much bigger planned for you because of what you've been put through. It is said that God does not give you anything that he can't carry you through and that is truly the truth!  The edge is the edge, but its usually a renewal for you and for all us.  

With Love, 

Joe Mendoza