How To Give Your Kids A Lift: 9 Divine Life Saving Tools

By Marlene Grace Harper and Raymond Aaron

Turning Away from Suicide
Marlene Harper has written a book designed to help parents, grandparents and guardians give their children a mental and emotional lift when it's really needed and providing the tools to do it. She's talking about children who have had some earth shattering experiences and need to find their way out of the darkness and into the light. She also talks about the epidemic issue of suicide in general and child and teen suicide in particular and of how to deal with a life of a loved one that has been stopped.
Her work with children in turning things around using puppets, a compliment of life saving tools and a formula called POPS is the basis for this book, "How To Give Your Kids A Lift". The puppet shows that the kids write are meant to solve problems through creative thinking while also presenting a moral similar to those found in Aesops Fables. Some of the themes they've dealt with are friendships, bullying, drugs, death and fun stuff like Einstein caught in a shrinking machine, friendly dragons, pirates, maritime stories and being kind to your customers. They're given a carte blanche as long as their play solves a particular problem.
Marlene, a proud mother of four, has been recognized by a number of local organizations for her work in helping one child at a time, and has received many awards including "Woman of the Year" (American Biographical Institute), an International Peace Prize (United Cultural Convention) and the Who's Who of America (in Manhattan).

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781772773026

Book preview

Author

Introduction

In April of 2017 I went to teach special children at an Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah. When I arrived, the secretary of the school was scrambling to find a substitute teacher for sixth grade. She was obviously troubled and was agitated as she made phone calls. I thought her behavior was interesting. That was about 7:30 am.

Classes started at 8:00 am, and before 9:00 am the school was in lockdown. We were advised there would be no recess, and we were to draw the blinds until further notice. The elementary principal came to visit each individual classroom.

By noon the lockdown was over. Two meetings were held to instruct all staff on how to handle the situation that was unfolding.

Apparently, the 26-year-old son of the sixth grade teacher had left a suicide note which his family (two parents and seven siblings) had found about 6 am. The family went to look for him in the neighborhood.

The elementary school bordered the junior high school, and it was the principal of that high school who discovered the young man’s body. The deceased was found in a slightly wooded area which had been the family’s favorite place to picnic.

Because he had taken his life with a shotgun, the fire department was called in to hose off blood from the area. The cleanup crew also trimmed the trees and bushes, mowed the lawn and replaced wood chips.

In the meetings we learned that he had been a confused young man who had been on medication for the last seven months. However, the whole event was under investigation.

When I left the school, the principal informed me that he would be sending emails to all the families in his school, to help their children. He felt each family needed to have a family council so they could learn how to deal with the sad issue of suicide.

Because many teachers and students knew the victim, parents and siblings, the principal’s wise advice was to support them. He said, In a situation like this it is hard to know what to say. Besides, nothing you say can bring this person back or ease the pain. Treat those family members with kindness and love. Then he added, They are who they are, not the mother or brother of someone who just died. Each person is an individual who is struggling through a tragedy, so treat each with respect.

Because the incident occurred between two schools, hundreds of folks were touched on a personal level. With the news media involved, the number increased to thousands. One life does matter!

Suicide is epidemic. It knows no boundaries or borders. All ages are included, teens to elderly. No one is safe.

Something needs to be done—right now. So, throughout this book I’ll present a number of tools that can be used to help individuals suffering from emotional or mental difficulties. Some of the tools may be used practically, while others are more metaphorical in nature. The point is that by the end of the book you’ll have a toolbox full of tools that you can use in your own life when facing great stress or difficulty; you can also use these same tools to help others.

Why is it so important that you fill up your toolbox now? Consider the following …

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention states:

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Each year 44,965 Americans die by suicide

For every suicide 25 attempt it

Suicide costs the U.S. $69 Billion annually

Statistics Canada states:

In 2009 there were 3,890 suicides in Canada, a rate of 11.5 per 100,000 people.

Suicide is a major cause of premature and preventable death. It is estimated that, in 2009 alone, there were about 100,000 years of potential life lost to Canadians under the age of 75 as a result of suicides.

Research shows that mental illness is the most important risk factor for suicide, and that more than 90% of people who commit suicide have a mental or addictive disorder. Depression is the most common illness among those who die from suicide, with approximately 60% suffering from this condition. No single determinant, including mental illness, is enough on its own to cause a suicide. Rather, suicide typically results from the interaction of many factors, for example: mental illness, marital breakdown, financial hardship, deteriorating physical health, a major loss, or a lack of social support.

Deaths by suicide, it should be noted, reflect only a small percentage of suicide attempts. It is estimated that for every completed suicide there are as many as 20 attempts. Although males are more likely to die from suicide, females are three to four times more likely to attempt it. Furthermore, females are hospitalized for attempted suicide 1.5 times more frequently than males.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in young people

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for people of all ages. In 2009, it ranked as the ninth leading cause of death in Canada. Among those aged 15 to 34, suicide was the second leading cause of death, preceded only by accidents (unintentional injuries).

Because they do not generally die from natural causes, suicide represents a relatively large percentage of all deaths for younger age groups (15 to 34). After the age of 35, suicides as a proportion of all deaths start to decline as other causes become more common.

European Suicide Statistics:

Europe is the region with the highest number of suicides in the world, according to World Health Organization (WHO). The group’s annual world health report shows that Europe’s highest suicide rate is in Lithuania, with 32.7 suicides per 100,000. The revelations came during Mental Health Awareness Month.

Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland and Latvia are the five European nations with the highest number of suicides, all with more than 21 suicides per 100,000 people.

That’s according to a comprehensive report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the general health of the world’s population, and on common causes of death.

Men are almost twice as likely as women to die as a result of suicide. In 2015, suicide was the second leading cause of death by injury after road traffic injuries. Serious depression is suggested as a significant factor in people being pushed to take their own lives, which the WHO estimates affects 311 million people worldwide.

Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs:

What leads to suicide?

There’s no single cause for suicide. Suicide most often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair. Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide, and it’s often undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions like depression, anxiety and substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase risk for suicide. Yet it’s important to note that most people who actively manage their mental health conditions go on to engage in life.

Suicide Warning Signs

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do. Here are some examples …

Talk

If a person talks about:

•Killing themselves

•Feeling hopeless

•Having no reason to live

•Being a burden to others

•Feeling trapped

•Unbearable pain

Behavior

Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change:

•Increased use of alcohol or drugs

•Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods

•Withdrawing from activities

•Isolating from family and friends

•Sleeping too much or too little

•Visiting or calling people to say goodbye

•Giving away prized possessions

•Aggression

•Fatigue

Mood

People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

•Depression

•Anxiety

•Loss of interest

•Irritability

•Humiliation/Shame

•Agitation/Anger

•Relief/Sudden Improvement

Suicide Risk Factors

Risk factors are characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life. Check out the following list …

Health Factors

•Mental health conditions

Depression

Substance use problems

Bipolar disorder

Schizophrenia

Personality traits of aggression, mood changes and poor relationships

Conduct disorder

Anxiety disorders

•Serious physical health conditions, including pain

•Traumatic brain injury

Environmental Factors

•Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs

•Prolonged stress, such as harassment, bullying, relationship problems or unemployment

•Stressful life events, like rejection, divorce, financial crisis, other life transitions or loss

•Exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide

Historical Factors

•Previous suicide attempts

•Family history of suicide

•Childhood abuse, neglect or trauma

When I am down and dragging hopelessly, you spread your dragon wings and give me flight.

—Marlene Grace Harper

1

The Delightful Dreadful Dragon: When What You See Isn’t What’s True

The Delightful Dreadful Dragon

The Perry Villagers in the Wasatch Rocky Mountains had a terrible problem to solve. The Dreadful Dragon, who lived at the Willard Peak Cave, was eating them.

They had a town meeting at city hall to decide what to do. Since they were farmers with expansive fruit orchards and large tracks of a variety of vegetables, they didn’t want to move away. The Perry Cherry, for example, was popular for Cherry Chocolates. Besides, economically they couldn’t afford to move.

The townspeople didn’t want to kill the dragon because they had been told Dragons were nearly extinct. Well, the issue was on the table and the Mayor Leo Perry suggested the council go meet with and talk to the town wizard or wise man.

Wizard William Wise said, You are farmers. Go take your best fruits and vegetables to the Dreadful Dragon and see if you can work out a compromise.

We’ll see what we can do, said the city council members.

What a scary proposition, since they knew they could be eaten. However, a brave farmer, the Mayor and a courageous mother agreed to make the trek. They climbed the mountain with their best fresh baked bread, a fine selection of fruits (apples, apricots and blackberries), a delicious zucchini casserole and some Perry Cherry chocolates. They also decided to include a kale/spinach salad, some walnuts and chocolate brownies.

The Dragon, Drake, could see the trio approaching and was curious. Why would they dare come on his mountain? But he was intrigued to see they were carrying so many items. He could also smell the bread and the brownies. So, he waited.

Drake was an old Dragon who came from Cambridge University in England. He was a scholar from the Middle Ages, who spent most of his time hiding in the Sherwood Forest. His parents were killed when he was the size of a kitten. A little girl named Maude found him. She protected him, fed him milk and raised him, teaching about humans and how to speak. Best of all, she taught Drake how to use camouflage to hide and how to be quiet.

Drake was a howler. He could vocalize so Maude taught him polite English talk.

As an adult, Drake had to escape England as his life was in jeopardy. He left on a Viking ship to the Americas to escape from Saint George and the Gaston family, who were known Dragon slayers.

When he finally arrived in at the Rocky Mountains, the native American Indians just accepted him as part of nature and went about their business.

Times had changed, though. More and more settlers were moving into his area, and they didn’t even believe in dragons.

When the trio drew near, Drake made himself stand up tall. In the deepest of deep voices, he howled, "I am a Fire Breathing Dragon, and I could eat you. Yes, I could eat