At 17 we think we know what life is really like. As we grow up, we realize that life wasn’t what we expected it to be at all. The emotional intensity of youth changes into something more like acceptance or even a sense of peace with the trauma we’ve suffered.

Enduring adolescence is difficult enough without government legitimizing suicide. Pothoven had sought suicide before, and she not the only youth to do so. But, unlike the rest of us, she will never have the chance to rejoice in the reality that lives can be made whole again. Hope, peace, and beauty always have the chance to arise out of our past sorrows.

Life is full of obstacles. But for every person who suffers abuse and deems her mistreatment a reasonable reason to end things, there will be many who find lesser reasons to toss in the towel. But we only get one life to live. We must place the highest possible value on life because it is a positive factor. It perpetuates itself, leading to more life.