Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

It's not the first time I've read of a parent committing suicide soon after their only child kills themselves:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7002179.stm

For me it's about the saddest story imaginable. I think this is because, like everyone else, I'm in a family, and I know what it's like to be loved by my parents, how much they have given for me, and how much they have sacrificed for me and my brother. And also I know the happiness (and sadness) parents get from their children's lives.

It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.

When I think of whatever abnormality of mind made this girl kill herself, I just think she was very foolish to lack the vision to see her short-term unhappiness was utterly inconsequential in the broader sweep of her life. Maybe that's what being young is about: not realising that your current happiness or sadness won't last forever.

But when I think of her mother's death, it strikes me as unbelievably poignant and tragic. She killed herself because she felt she had nothing left to live for. Quite differently from her daughter, she judged that, yes, her life had lost its purpose and would not get better. In losing her only child, she lost her own future. The family's narrative was over - growing old with her husband, tending the garden, watching television, perhaps bingo or bridge would be all she had to look forward to. She'd never dance at her daughter's wedding. In an act of impetuousness her daughter had killed her own mother's hope for the future.

Perhaps this story is so upsetting because it is small scale. I can't relate to a thousand made homeless by an earthquake. But the death of a family strikes me hard.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

Nothing constructive to add other than that really, really sucks

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

I only have one child, and I'm not sure I'd want to keep living if he killed himself.
I would wake up every day feeling like an utter failure at life who had nothing to contribute and nothing to look forward to.

An accident or illness, and I could keep going; but suicide sends such an ugly message to everyone the person knows. This is especially true to the parents. The child is basically saying "I hate the life you gave me, and I wish you'd never done it". After all the love and sacrifice of being a parent, that's pretty brutal.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

Here's a similar heartbreaking story:

The parents of a man who hanged himself took their own lives after hearing of his death an inquest has heard.

Neil Powell, 27, from Bridgend, was found hanging from a tree in a field in July 2005.

Hours after being told by police, his father Robert, 56, hanged himself at home in Llandeilo and his mother Mary, 56, drowned herself at a reservoir.

The coroner said it was one of the most tragic family cases he had come across in 30 years.

He recorded that Neil Powell, a chemistry graduate, killed himself by hanging and returned a suicide verdict on his parents.

The inquest heard that Mr and Mrs Powell were told by police their only son Neil had been found hanging near his home on 14 July, 2005.

Hours later, the couple took their own lives. They were last seen driving down the lane at 2130 BST by a neighbour

Mr Powell, a retired civil servant, was found hanged in an outhouse building of his home after driving his wife to the Llyn Brianne reservoir where she had drowned.

The hearing was told how police discovered the couple had attempted to poison themselves by trying to attach a vacuum pipe to their car's exhaust.

Officers also found a substantial quantity of tablet wrappers in the vehicle.

Their bodies were discovered on 15 July 2005 - the day after their son's body was found.

A farmer had previously discovered Neil Powell's body hanging from a tree in a field opposite a paper mill near Maesteg.

The coroner heard how he had appeared depressed after being unemployed for 18 months.

Phillip Walters, coroner for Bridgend and the Glamorgan Valleys, described the death of the family as "most tragic family case that has been my unfortunate experience to deal with in my 30 years as a coroner.

"Mr and Mrs Powell felt there was no purpose on going on after the death of Neil.

"They loved their son very much and life there after served no purpose and they took the ultimate step of ending their lives."

Speaking about the death of Neil Powell he added: "One of the nationwide phenomena which we have at the moment is the suicide of young males.

"There has been a considerable spate of suicides in young males in this age group, and in many cases no-one has been able to find answers.

"And this, I regret to say, is another one which I have had to deal with where I can find no answers other than to say that generally since he had finished work he wasn't the man he used to be.

"There are no notes and there was no communications with any friends to suggest the events surrounding his death or that he was going to take this course of action."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4862848.stm

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

Funny, when I made this post a couple of weeks ago, some questioned my reasoning. This new thread should make it obvious.

Reprint of prior post:
<font color="purple"> I would never want people to know that I committed suicide, so I have thought about how to arrange my death in a way that does not look like suicide.

You know: suicide by "cop", suicide by car "accident", suicide by mountain climbing "mistake", suicide by snorkling "accident", suicide by "snake bite". </font>

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

I take a different view. I think if someone wants to kill themselves, that is their choice, and the effect it has on those around them is not their fault.

You also don't know that she killed herself just over a tiff with her boyfriend. There may have been childhood abuse or a whole range of other stuff (guilt over which may have led the mother to take her own life).

This mutual responsibility view of family relations is kind of bothersome. Your parents chose to bring you into the world, knowing full well they'd have to raise you. You can choose to be grateful and reciprocate their love and effort, but it's only a choice. Taking it too far isn't healthy IMO.

But sad story, obviously

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

I could not believe this when I read.
Natasha lived close to me so there was lots of news when she went missing.
I still remember vividly when I heard on the car radio that they had found Natasha’s body near the railway line. We will never find out if it was suicide or a tragic accident.
How much grief must the mother have felt to do this. So sad.
Find Natasha

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
There may have been childhood abuse or a whole range of other stuff (guilt over which may have led the mother to take her own life).


[/ QUOTE ]

I hate this expression and you've forced me to say it: wow, just wow. What an outrageous and baseless speculation. No, I take the story as it's reported. Silly girl kills herself over a tiff with boyfriend. Loving supportive mother who gave everything for her daughter kills herself in grief.

Obviously there are cases where teenagers/young people kill themselves in response to abuse, for example:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6124190.stm

But the situation in OP is clearly nothing like that. And, yes, I do believe that in return for the financial and emotional investment parents make in their children in a normal, happy family, the children have obligations in return. No, I don't believe you have to marry someone unsuitable because your parents like them, or become a doctor when really you want to be an artist, or not take any risks or do anything differently from how your parents would.

But I believe that by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success. To kill yourself, when you have had loving, supportive parents, and you are not even someone with depressive or psychiatric issues, strikes me as a wicked, wicked thing to do. You are murdering your parents as well as yourself.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're certainly not the only one who has this attitude towards suicide, but frankly, I couldn't agree less with it.

-McGee

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're certainly not the only one who has this attitude towards suicide, but frankly, I couldn't agree less with it.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

State your case?

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

There is an old saying that goes something along the lines of, "No parent should ever live long enough to bury one of their children."

The older my kids get, the more I understand the truth of it.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
I hate this expression and you've forced me to say it: wow, just wow. What an outrageous and baseless speculation. No, I take the story as it's reported. Silly girl kills herself over a tiff with boyfriend. Loving supportive mother who gave everything for her daughter kills herself in grief.


[/ QUOTE ]

Your theory as to why she killed herself -- and subsequent judgment of her -- is one line in a news story about what the police "believe," and you're criticizing others for making "outrageous and baseless" speculations?

Obviously, it's not fair to say that she was abused by her mother. But Phil153 used the word "may," and I think the larger point he was trying to make was "Hey, suicide isn't necessarily a selfish thing."

-McGee

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're certainly not the only one who has this attitude towards suicide, but frankly, I couldn't agree less with it.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

State your case?

[/ QUOTE ]

I want to avoid spending all day on here arguing about this, but, in brief...I like living, so I'm not going to kill myself. I have that choice. There are other people who don't like living. Why shouldn't they have the same choice I do?

-McGee

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

lj,

phil was just saying you never know, those things could have been involved. i don't think it's too wild of specualtion at all. he's just saying you don't know.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're certainly not the only one who has this attitude towards suicide, but frankly, I couldn't agree less with it.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

State your case?

[/ QUOTE ]

I want to avoid spending all day on here arguing about this, but, in brief...I like living, so I'm not going to kill myself. I have that choice. There are other people who don't like living. Why shouldn't they have the same choice I do?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]


I guess I believe in families, you don't?

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're certainly not the only one who has this attitude towards suicide, but frankly, I couldn't agree less with it.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

State your case?

[/ QUOTE ]

I want to avoid spending all day on here arguing about this, but, in brief...I like living, so I'm not going to kill myself. I have that choice. There are other people who don't like living. Why shouldn't they have the same choice I do?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]


I guess I believe in families, you don't?

[/ QUOTE ]

I find this "argument" far more relevant when it's a parent who commits suicide.

Like I said, I'm not going to argue this all day. It's been my experience, though, that people who share your viewpoint on suicide tend to take it as a given, and if you aren't careful, you are going to make someone who has lost someone very dear to them extremely upset with this attitude.

-McGee

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is an intensely stupid and selfish act for this girl to have killed herself over some little tiff with her boyfriend. In a sense, her life is not hers to take. As an only child, she killed three people when she killed herself.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're certainly not the only one who has this attitude towards suicide, but frankly, I couldn't agree less with it.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

State your case?

[/ QUOTE ]

I want to avoid spending all day on here arguing about this, but, in brief...I like living, so I'm not going to kill myself. I have that choice. There are other people who don't like living. Why shouldn't they have the same choice I do?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]


I guess I believe in families, you don't?

[/ QUOTE ]

I find this "argument" far more relevant when it's a parent who commits suicide.

Like I said, I'm not going to argue this all day. It's been my experience, though, that people who share your viewpoint on suicide tend to take it as a given, and if you aren't careful, you are going to make someone who has lost someone very dear to them extremely upset with this attitude.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]


I guess I'm with Courtney Love on suicide.

At the risk of repeating myself, let me repeat myself, because this sums up what I believe children owe their parents. It isn't too onerous, is it?

"by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success"

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

lollll this trhead is going to be full of rational people thinking logically and retards thinking emotionally and throwing out crazy ideas liek "WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL PUPPIES?!"

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

jium -

this isn't a [censored] contract. i didn't ask to be born.

just like you can lead a horse to water, you can give a kid life but you can't make him keep it.

[ QUOTE ]
I believe children owe their parents

[/ QUOTE ]

that is BS. i didn't ask for [censored] from them and if i want to kill myself i am damn well going to do it.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why shouldn't they have the same choice I do?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because in general, you will be inflicting tremendous pain to your friends and family, when there are ways for you to feel better without killing yourself.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
jium -

this isn't a [censored] contract. i didn't ask to be born.

just like you can lead a horse to water, you can give a kid life but you can't make him keep it.

[ QUOTE ]
I believe children owe their parents

[/ QUOTE ]

that is BS. i didn't ask for [censored] from them and if i want to kill myself i am damn well going to do it.

[/ QUOTE ]


I am definitely prejudiced against the girl in the first story. Her immature "grief" about breaking up with some boyfriend is trivial in comparison with a mother's grief for the suicide of her only daughter. The daughter killed herself because of how she felt that day, that week, over something that would pass, a temporary unhappiness, the indulgent heartbreak before she found another boyfriend and moved on. The mother killed herself over something terrible and unremediable: the death of the family's future, the death of hope. The daughter's death was stupid and wrong; the mother's death was, in the proper sense of the word, tragic.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

luckyjimm, what you are saying basically is that a parent's life has no self-worth, and it becomes an appendage of the childrens' lives when they are born. A parent is to live vicariously, find happiness and sadness through his children, and when they are gone, her life has no meaning anymore. That's complete [censored].

And don't start me on children owing parents. Do children owe to marry someone they don't love because it will make their domineering control-freak parents happy? Do children owe to take up occupations prescribed by parents? Where does it end? People make a lot of choices that make their family unhappy, that's the chances you take when you procreate.

Some kids just dont come out the way their parents want them to. That doesnt mean parents have any more legit reasons to off themselves than someone who feels so bad about their own lives that they actually do committ suicide successfully, which isnt as easy as you might think.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
I am definitely prejudiced against the girl in the first story. Her immature "grief" about breaking up with some boyfriend is trivial in comparison with a mother's grief for the suicide of her only daughter. The daughter killed herself because of how she felt that day, that week, over something that would pass, a temporary unhappiness, the indulgent heartbreak before she found another boyfriend and moved on. The mother killed herself over something terrible and unremediable: the death of the family's future, the death of hope. The daughter's death was stupid and wrong; the mother's death was, in the proper sense of the word, tragic.

[/ QUOTE ]

THis makes no sense. The mother is free to have more kids! Just as the daughters pain was temporary so is the mothers.

analogy time!!


Boyfriend : Daughter :: Daughter : Mother

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
And don't start me on children owing parents. Do children owe to marry someone they don't love because it will make their domineering control-freak parents happy? Do children owe to take up occupations prescribed by parents? Where does it end? People make a lot of choices that make their family unhappy, that's the chances you take when you procreate.

[/ QUOTE ]

I only said this twice already, let me say it again. This is my view of what a child owes its parents:

"by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success"

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am definitely prejudiced against the girl in the first story. Her immature "grief" about breaking up with some boyfriend is trivial in comparison with a mother's grief for the suicide of her only daughter. The daughter killed herself because of how she felt that day, that week, over something that would pass, a temporary unhappiness, the indulgent heartbreak before she found another boyfriend and moved on. The mother killed herself over something terrible and unremediable: the death of the family's future, the death of hope. The daughter's death was stupid and wrong; the mother's death was, in the proper sense of the word, tragic.

[/ QUOTE ]

THis makes no sense. The mother is free to have more kids! Just as the daughters pain was temporary so is the mothers.

analogy time!!


Boyfriend : Daughter :: Daughter : Mother

[/ QUOTE ]


Too old. And she'd put 20 years of love and support into the life of that selfish girl who killed herself over a boyfriend of, what, a couple of months, at best a couple of years.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents

[/ QUOTE ]

THis is the part people are arguing against. Why do I have an obligation to my parents for them giving me something I didn't ask for or want?

It's like "Jim, here's a pet dog!!!" Now' you're screwed cause you have to take care of this dog that you didn't want. But i was nice enough to give ti to you so it's your obligation haha.

At least a dog you can give away.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
Too old. And she'd put 20 years of love and support into the life of that selfish girl who killed herself over a boyfriend of, what, a couple of months, at best a couple of years.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, so what if the girl and boy started dating when they were 10 and broek up when they were 30?

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And don't start me on children owing parents. Do children owe to marry someone they don't love because it will make their domineering control-freak parents happy? Do children owe to take up occupations prescribed by parents? Where does it end? People make a lot of choices that make their family unhappy, that's the chances you take when you procreate.

[/ QUOTE ]

I only said this twice already, let me say it again. This is my view of what a child owes its parents:

"by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success"

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem with this quote is that it assumes that "being alive" is the optimum state for everyone.

-McGee

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And don't start me on children owing parents. Do children owe to marry someone they don't love because it will make their domineering control-freak parents happy? Do children owe to take up occupations prescribed by parents? Where does it end? People make a lot of choices that make their family unhappy, that's the chances you take when you procreate.

[/ QUOTE ]

I only said this twice already, let me say it again. This is my view of what a child owes its parents:

"by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success"

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, fair enough. However, it's pretty obvious that people who succeed at suicides don't find happiness and don't see a way to obtain happiness in the future. They may be misguided, but that's their perspective. Horrible life &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; clean death. And the fact that their death affects lives of others doesnt change that.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
Too old. And she'd put 20 years of love and support into the life of that selfish girl who killed herself over a boyfriend of, what, a couple of months, at best a couple of years.

[/ QUOTE ]

You make it sound as if people procreate (with consequential sacrifices and love poured onto the kids) for some noble and unselfish reasons. That's really not the case.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Too old. And she'd put 20 years of love and support into the life of that selfish girl who killed herself over a boyfriend of, what, a couple of months, at best a couple of years.

[/ QUOTE ]

You make it sound as if people procreate (with consequential sacrifices and love poured onto the kids) for some noble and unselfish reasons. That's really not the case.

[/ QUOTE ]


Neither is it the case that people generally have kids for "base and selfish" reasons.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

jimm are you just ignoring the other 4 posts there?

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And don't start me on children owing parents. Do children owe to marry someone they don't love because it will make their domineering control-freak parents happy? Do children owe to take up occupations prescribed by parents? Where does it end? People make a lot of choices that make their family unhappy, that's the chances you take when you procreate.

[/ QUOTE ]

I only said this twice already, let me say it again. This is my view of what a child owes its parents:

"by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success"

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, fair enough. However, it's pretty obvious that people who succeed at suicides don't find happiness and don't see a way to obtain happiness in the future. They may be misguided, but that's their perspective. Horrible life &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; clean death. And the fact that their death affects lives of others doesnt change that.

[/ QUOTE ]


There is a difference between the suicide of someone long-term clinically depressed, and an impulse suicide by a silly little girl upset that some boy dumped her.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
And don't start me on children owing parents. Do children owe to marry someone they don't love because it will make their domineering control-freak parents happy? Do children owe to take up occupations prescribed by parents? Where does it end? People make a lot of choices that make their family unhappy, that's the chances you take when you procreate.

[/ QUOTE ]

I only said this twice already, let me say it again. This is my view of what a child owes its parents:

"by fulfilling your obligation to yourself to live well, to find whatever your idea is of happiness and obtain for yourself on your own terms the best life possible given the start your parents have given you, you are also implicitly fulfilling your obligation to your parents. You are making the most of the life they have given you, and allowing them to find happiness in your happiness, and pride at your success"

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem with this quote is that it assumes that "being alive" is the optimum state for everyone.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]


If you're not trolling, I don't know what to say. Of course it is.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Too old. And she'd put 20 years of love and support into the life of that selfish girl who killed herself over a boyfriend of, what, a couple of months, at best a couple of years.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, so what if the girl and boy started dating when they were 10 and broek up when they were 30?

[/ QUOTE ]


Well, then we'd be talking about the suicide of a victim of abuse...

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
I take a different view. I think if someone wants to kill themselves, that is their choice, and the effect it has on those around them is not their fault.

You also don't know that she killed herself just over a tiff with her boyfriend. There may have been childhood abuse or a whole range of other stuff (guilt over which may have led the mother to take her own life).

This mutual responsibility view of family relations is kind of bothersome. Your parents chose to bring you into the world, knowing full well they'd have to raise you. You can choose to be grateful and reciprocate their love and effort, but it's only a choice. Taking it too far isn't healthy IMO.

But sad story, obviously

[/ QUOTE ]

I pretty much agree with this. Families are great, the story is sad, but I don't think parents should have their hapiness completely correleated with their children's happiness and I don't think children are really obligated to live in a certain way to "pay back" their parents. Again, families are great, but people should be independent, or at least not too dependenet.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I take a different view. I think if someone wants to kill themselves, that is their choice, and the effect it has on those around them is not their fault.

You also don't know that she killed herself just over a tiff with her boyfriend. There may have been childhood abuse or a whole range of other stuff (guilt over which may have led the mother to take her own life).

This mutual responsibility view of family relations is kind of bothersome. Your parents chose to bring you into the world, knowing full well they'd have to raise you. You can choose to be grateful and reciprocate their love and effort, but it's only a choice. Taking it too far isn't healthy IMO.

But sad story, obviously

[/ QUOTE ]

I pretty much agree with this. Families are great, the story is sad, but I don't think parents should have their hapiness completely correleated with their children's happiness and I don't think children are really obligated to live in a certain way to "pay back" their parents. Again, families are great, but people should be independent, or at least not too dependenet.

[/ QUOTE ]


Jeez I obviously should have made my point a fourth time since three times ain't enough.
No, you do not have to live "a certain way" to please your parents.
But you should LIVE, and find happiness, and let them be happy at that. If you have had loving, supportive parents and you're not suffering any unconquerable mental illness, you do not have the right to kill yourself.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
But you should LIVE, and find happiness, and let them be happy at that. If you have had loving, supportive parents and you're not suffering any unconquerable mental illness, you do not have the right to kill yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can make this point over and over but you keep ignoring the fact that she didn't ask for life so why is she obligated to keep it?

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
If you have had loving, supportive parents and you're not suffering any unconquerable mental illness, you do not have the right to kill yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would take a wild guess here and just say that the vast majority of people who kill themselves have some sort of mental illness due to a chemical imbalance in their brain.

I'm not exactly sure why you claim suicide is a right, or isn't a right. Suicide DOES happen, you can choose to do it, or you can choose not to. That doesn't make it a right one way or the other.

Re: Mother commits suicide at same spot as her only daughter
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But you should LIVE, and find happiness, and let them be happy at that. If you have had loving, supportive parents and you're not suffering any unconquerable mental illness, you do not have the right to kill yourself.

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You can make this point over and over but you keep ignoring the fact that she didn't ask for life so why is she obligated to keep it?

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Because that point's facile and beneath contempt. None of us chose to be born; yet, finding ourselves alive, we all live by codes of rules set by our friends, families, society and government.