September is Suicide Awareness Month.  Every year I see the reminders: "Check on your friends," "Look for the signs," "You're not alone."  Those words come from good intentions, but they don't tell the whole truth.

When I attempted in the past, I didn't announce it.  I didn't hint at it.  I didn't write a note.  I just acted.  And some people I knew who didn't survive... it was the same story.  No warning.  No goodbye.  The line everyone repeats after is always the same: "They seemed so happy.  We didn't know."

The truth is, pain doesn't always look like sadness.  Sometimes it hides behind laughter and bright smiles.  Robin Williams showed us that—the man who made millions laugh was fighting a darkness no one could see.  Sometimes the person who looks like they have it together is the one carrying the heaviest weight.  And when that mask slips, it can be too late to reach them.

Awareness doesn't always mean asking the hard questions.  Sometimes it just means being there—showing up in small ways, reminding someone they matter, giving them one corner of the world where they don't have to fake a smile.

This month isn't only for those who are struggling.  It's for the ones we've lost, the ones who carry the weight quietly, the ones who are afraid to speak, and the ones left behind trying to understand.  Suicide awareness touches more people than we realize—sometimes closer than we think.

Not every call, text, or visit will save a life.  But some do.  Matt Kennon said it best in  The Call: sometimes picking up the phone, checking in, or reminding someone they're seen can be the difference.

So don't wait for someone to look broken before you care.  Because the strongest-looking, happiest-seeming person in the room might be fighting the hardest battle.  And your presence—not a perfect question, not the right words—might be the thread that holds them here just a little longer.