Chester, you will be missed. (Image credit: Instagram/@linkinpark)
Content Notice: suicide.
Things I don't want to write about: Suicide.
Another of our musical idols was found dead today in his LA home. Earlier this year it was Chris Cornell, today it's Linkin Park's frontman, Chester Bennington.
TMZ reports that law enforcement sources have verified the singer hanged himself at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in L.A. County. His body was discovered Thursday just before 9 a.m.
Chester has six children.
He leaves six kids without a dad.
People are going to call Chester selfish. People always call victims of suicide selfish.
People who call him selfish are not people who have been suicidal.
I know this because I have been suicidal and selfish is the last thing that feels like.
What does being suicidal feel like?
It feels like an opportunity to relieve the world of your presence. It feels like a chance for your kids to have a parent that isn't unstable. Suicide feels like a release from the demons that live inside you, a way to quiet the voice that lies to you about your worth. It is the furthest thing from selfish.
Chester, you will be missed.
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If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please — please — reach out for help. You can call the National Suicide Prevention at 1-800-273-8255.
