A woman from Italy has shared the bittersweet moment she received an email from her deceased twin brother.
Miranda's brother took his own life in fall of 2021, and this week she posted on Reddit's r/MadeMeSmile forum one of the messages her late brother had left her.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics report that suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S. In 2020, more than 45,000 Americans died by suicide.
The highest rate of suicide is in middle-aged white men, with men 3.88 times more likely to die by suicide than women.
In the post, Miranda shared a screenshot of the email and wrote: "My twin brother took his life last year, but he left scheduled emails to check on me." In the email, he had written:
"Hope you're not crying over some lame guy and that you're thriving in Sweden, the scheduled emails will keep coming for a long time. I love you and whatever your bipolar is telling you don't listen, you are a wonderful person. Kaya xxxxxx"
Miranda revealed she recently moved from Sweden, and when she opened the email, she was crying over a guy who recently left her pregnant. She's due to give birth in March 2023 and plans to name her daughter after her late brother.
Miranda told Newsweek: "I'm glad he sent me the emails. It makes me feel really happy reminding me how much he cared about me."
The first of the scheduled emails arrived in April on her birthday, but since then she has been thrilled to find there are more.
It is estimated that 85 percent of people in the U.S. will know someone personally who has died by suicide. While grief is the universal reaction to the loss of a loved one, those who have suffered the death of a close friend or relative can often suffer different types of grief that come with losing someone in this way.
Recognizing this specific type of loss, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's (AFSP) International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day—this year on November 19—encourages survivors of suicide loss to come together and find connection and understanding through their shared experiences.
After sharing the message from her brother online, Miranda found that many people were quick to share comfort and positivity.
"Oh man, this made me tear up. I'm so so sorry for your loss and current struggles," said one commenter. While another Redditor wrote: "What a sweet soul. I hope that if there is some kind of afterlife, he is at peace in his."
"I felt really appreciated and loved," said Miranda after reading through the many thoughtful comments online: "I'm going through a hard time and Reddit [has] been a great place to get some positivity."
If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours every day. Beginning July 16, dial 988 on your phone to be automatically connected to the Lifeline.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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