Mother spreads kindness to raise suicide awareness

COEUR d’ALENE — In the words of the late Hudson Lowe: "You know that you will change the world solely because the world has failed to change you."

Lowe was only 20 when he took his life July 26, 2017. He had just finished his sophomore year at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla.

In high school, he was in student government and drum line. He was the president of the Ocoee Green Initiative, a campus environmental movement he founded.

He always encouraged people to "fall forward." To never give up.

His mother, Chris Lowe, is taking Hudson's message across the country to spread kindness in his name.

She refuses to fall backward.

"The more people hear that message, I know the more people will remember to never, ever give up. Not on themselves, not on other people, not on anything in life," she said in the video on www.fallforwardacross america.com. "Life is too precious to do that.”

Chris and a team of volunteers left Orlando in an RV on July 26 to perform 22 acts of kindness in 22 states during the Fall Forward Across America Kindness Tour. They're in Coeur d'Alene today and Tuesday.

"It's just over two years ago that Hudson died from suicide," Chris said via email Friday. "He would have been 22 this July. Ever since that moment, we have just felt an overwhelming need to go out and find all the Hudsons in the world who are struggling, who are suffering, who feel alone, who they feel like they don't matter and to change that. We feel that we can do that through kindness, through connection, through compassion. So to honor what would have been his 22nd birthday, we are spreading acts of kindness across America. But I feel that the number 22 is bigger than that. It's bigger than Hudson."

Jeanette Laster, executive director of the Human Rights Education Institute, said her organization sought out Chris and the #FallForward crew because it's important North Idaho embrace these opportunities when they arise.

"We have been severely impacted by suicide in our state and our region, especially our teen suicide rate," she said. "We’re high on the amount of suicides that we have in the state of Idaho and in this region, specifically."

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho is consistently among the states with the highest suicide rates. In 2016, Idaho had the eighth-highest suicide rate in the country, 50% higher than the national average. That same year, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for Idahoans ages 15 to 34.

"We often are so busy that we stay in our lanes rather than asking if someone’s OK or if there is something we can do to help," Laster said. "It takes attention and meaningful conversation and relationships to make sure that suicide doesn't happen."

The Kindness Tour will park in the parking lot of the Human Rights Education Institute, 414 W. Fort Grounds Drive, Coeur d'Alene. At 7:30 this evening on the institute’s patio, a community candlelight vigil will be held for the 22 victims of the El Paso shooting and in memory of all other lives lost too soon.

"It’s tied together because of a request from the community to have a vigil for the victims of the shootings," Laster said. "And, some people who do these shootings don’t expect to come out of it."

On Tuesday in Coeur d'Alene City Park, a Day of Kindness and suicide prevention awareness will start with a performance by the Blazen Divaz at 10 a.m. A free yoga class will be led at 10:15 a.m., a free hula hoop fitness class will be at 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., HREI will host free rock painting and the Coeur d'Alene Carousel will offer free rides.

The Umpqua Bank ice cream truck will be on site. Bring your own yoga mats, towels or blankets for the yoga class and your own hula hoop (limited amount available to borrow). Kindness walks around City Park with affirmations will take place all day, 22 minutes each.

"It's very important for us to recognize that we’re all touched in some way by these things," Laster said.