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According to the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, “a semicolon is a mark (;) used in writing for separating large or important independent parts of a sentence.”  Essentially, a semicolon comes at a point where the sentence could end but the author has chosen to keep writing.  This symbol has gained a special significance amongst those who have wanted to end their life at some point in time.  The semicolon represents a point that could easily have been the end; the individual chooses to keep going.

Looking back there are so many semicolons in my life story.  Maybe you are not aware but there are people who struggle with suicidal ideation long term.  Sometimes it is circumstantial, but sometimes it is a malfunction somewhere in the brain.  I can tell you from experience, there is nothing worse than the intrusive thoughts that tell you you would be better off dead; they tell you the world would be a better place without you in it.  They don’t care how good things are going.  They don’t care how happy you are.  They are there to break you.  In those moments where they are so close to winning out, there is a conscious choice to keep going.  There is a semicolon in the story.

Every semicolon moment is different.  Sometimes they are obvious, looking like what you might imagine.