A Sad Day at Stone Mountain

As an Atlantan, Stone Mountain has always been my favorite hiking spot. This past Saturday, May 31, the weather was perfect—one of those beautiful spring days that reminds me why I love this city. I spent the afternoon hiking, soaking in the sunshine and the stillness of nature.

What I didn’t know at the time was that just hours earlier, something tragic had happened in that very park.

Early that morning, a hiker discovered a burned body and reported it to the police. The initial investigation suggested it was a suicide. The victim was a young man in his late twenties.

The news broke my heart.

It felt especially poignant that this tragedy occurred on the final day of May—Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental illness is a disease, no different from cancer or heart disease. Yet, it still doesn’t receive the attention, empathy, or resources it desperately deserves.

People who end their lives are not weak. They are in pain—often a pain so deep and consuming that it clouds judgment and eclipses all hope. Whether it’s a world-famous singer leaping from a high-rise or a young man quietly disappearing into the woods, their final act is a cry for support that was never fully heard.

I know this pain. I’ve lived it.

There was a time in my life when suicidal thoughts haunted me daily. It took over a year of therapy to find my way back. I am deeply grateful to the therapist who helped me through those darkest days. But I also know how blessed I was—because not everyone can afford that kind of help, and not everyone knows where to find it.

I hope one day, there will be more accessible and affordable mental health support—safe spaces where people can go before it's too late.

So today, let’s pause. Say a prayer, light a candle, or simply hold a moment of silence—for the souls we’ve lost to silence, stigma, and suffering.

And let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s speak up, listen deeply, and spread the message: mental health matters.