Sorry if this is rambling but I am in a sense of shock right now. I am posting this for any men out there that are teetering on the edge.

I opened the paper today to see a short obituary on a friend. I've tried to reach him with texts over the last few days with no response. I figured with the crazyness in the world he was just wrapped up with a lot of things, especially given his home situation which would be extra stressful right now.

The obit says passed away suddenly. I am sure in his case means he took his own life. If this turns out not to be the case I may feel somewhat different about his passing, but knowing our last few conversations and the pressure he has constantly been under this more than likely was a suicide.

He was in a loveless marriage with a wife who offered no support in almost every aspect of his life. They have challenging kids that the total responsibility for fell on his shoulders. When he would make efforts to discipline she would be right there to sabotage him. He would also tell me about some of the fights she would initiate over petty things. They would escalate into him having to leave rather than face ridicule and bullying.

I tried to help. I tried telling him he has to get out for his own well being. I offered a place to stay. Tried telling him there are worse things than staying at a friends and trying to regroup to have a better life. We talked about preparing financially and having an exit plan so he could still take care of his kids. I explained to him how he isn't doing his children any good by having them see how he was treated.

I could go on but for now I just want to post this and tell any man out there that is barely holding on to reach out to someone. Know that things can get better. It many not be easy to see that if you are trapped in a bad situation, but it can. Taking care of yourself isn't being selfish. It's what you need to do. Don't wait. Maybe you can't immediately change your life, but you can start working on it. Just don't give up.

Take care everyone and keep an eye out for each other.