Editor:
I’m writing in response to Chris Yeates’ column “Fatalism Trivializes Human Suffering,” in the Sept. 5 Chronicle.
My cousin also committed suicide. His death was not a matter of chance or the result of some random event, it was the calculated result of an orderly plan?his own. Nor was it an event he was destined for?the only reason he died was because he chose to.
It was a very painful time for each of us, especially for his parents. It’s been awhile, but I still miss him a lot.
Despite the suffering we’ve been through, I am still convinced of the order and reason in the universe. I feel one reason he was placed in our family was because he was going to commit suicide. Despite his choices, he received so many blessings from his family, and each of us was and continues to be blessed by having him be a part of our lives.
Yes, in many cases, life is painful. Sometimes we hurt because of our own choices and sometimes we suffer because of others’ choices. Sometimes we can see no logical reason why we suffer.
Regardless of where it comes from, suffering serves a purpose. To dismiss this pain to random chance trivializes the powerful, intense lessons that so many have learned through suffering. Those who experience pain, raw and potent, and those who choose to accept it and pass through it and take from it come away with an understanding that’s hard to get any other way.
Our family is very grateful that my cousin was a part of us for the time he was here, even with his suicide. And while I treasure my family and I hope that we never have to go through anything like that again, I cannot deny the power of the things he taught me.
Jason Moore
Graduate Student, Business