QUIET SUFFERING: THE UNSEEN STRUGGLES WE CARRY

It was an ordinary day when Lana saw the news.

Nothing particularly new, like so many other stories that came before it.

How sad it is that it has become ordinary to read about a life that ended. How sad it is that it has become normal to hear about a teenager taking their own life in Japan.

It makes you think, how could they have missed it? Again? How do we just overlook the quiet pain people carry day in and day out?

That day of the incident was an ordinary Saturday for us. The scorching sun shone over the city, people went about their little routines, and the trains were filled with the usual stillness and silence.

The day turned into night, everything appeared normal that evening. Except for one girl. For her, it wasn’t. It was the night she would choose to jump from a building—ending everything.

Every struggle, every ounce of pain, every hint of loneliness.

Who knows, really?

Isn’t it crazy how this fast-paced modern world has turned people into soulless beings who have lost the skill to communicate, not to mention empathize?

How many of us carry unseen burdens? How many of us are consumed by unspoken grief? Silent fears? How many of us suffer silently while the world goes on without pause?

Everyone close to me knows I’ve had countless moments of struggle, frustration, and loneliness since moving here. That feeling of isolation eats up on you like a fatal virus slowly taking over your immune system.

It’s quiet and deadly. Yet it’s invisible.

And that’s what’s scary.

Nobody knows when someone’s drowning in the sea of their own thoughts. Nobody realizes that behind the mask is someone desperate for support. Understanding. A sliver of hope.

If it weren’t for my family and a couple of friends, I wouldn’t have overcome that phase of intense sadness. I felt lost but they knew where to find me. And that’s mostly what got me through—knowing they were there no matter the distance.

Many of us take the simple act of reaching out for granted. Thinking there’s no depth in asking someone about their day. In most cases, that could be true. But have you ever thought about the life you could save by asking someone how they are?

Sometimes, all a person needs is another soul to listen. To witness their struggle and to remind them they aren’t invisible. That their pain isn’t invisible. That they are seen and their feelings are valid.

It’s no secret Japan’s societal pressures on their youth are alarming. And this incident is a reminder of how some of them choose to respond and cope. While we still don’t know the definite cause and may never even know, it’s a tragic reminder to be extra kind.

“Be kind to everyone, you never know what battles they’re fighting.”

This is so cliche but it’s never been more relevant in today’s society. Technology keeps the whole world connected yet souls have never seemed more detached.

The noise gets too loud sometimes.

And we should learn how to listen for the silence.

It’s in the midst of it that we might find someone who needs us most.

Be kind.

Stay safe.

And stay soulful.

Jopaz