There seems to have been a spate of suicides in the last few weeks, and one in particular that grabbed the international headlines is the violent shooting of a Canadian border guard by a man traveling into Canada through the Peace Arch crossing. Apparently, 10-15 seconds after he shot the guard, he killed himself. The guard survived a bullet to the neck, and at this writing, we still don't know why it happened at all.

The United States military is experiencing an explosion of suicides amongst personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, far beyond what has been considered "normal" in such wartime situations.  In the last few weeks, several teenagers have ended their promising young lives, as a result of "cyber-bullying" - that instant proliferation of vicious "text assault" by their peers.

Are there solutions? Well, there are ideas.  Short-term "band-aid" approaches can only offer short-term help. What is needed is an early intervention approach. It starts with teaching our children, at the earliest of ages, to value and respect each other. Parents, grandparents, older siblings - it is our responsibility to help guide those younger citizens in what is acceptable behavior. More than that, it is our accountability to teach them how to positively interact with each other.

Additionally, we are accountable to get outside of ourselves and pay attention to those around us. If we take the time to stop, watch and listen, we will raise our own awareness of those who are silently screaming for help, and be able to offer an uplifting word, or some kind, gentle attention.

The downward spiral is an early-warning system, and early recognition can provide the opportunity to stop the slide, and work to bring yourself back to the "surface," perhaps avoiding a full-blown depression. This early detection also gives you the opportunity to get help from someone with professional experience.

Life is precious, and as far as anyone really knows, we only get one shot at it here on earth. We all have contributions to make. The talents you possess have a purpose for being here on earth.

And so do you.