I’m new to this page in The Times, but for those who were willing to labor through the recent suicide series, I send a heartfelt “Thank You” for sticking with me.

While this series focused on three underserved groups (veterans, the youth and Native Americans in our community), the purpose was not to single them out and dissect their deepest struggles, much less skip over any specific group. To be honest, I just wanted to hear their stories. The Times provided a platform to broadcast their stories and hopefully, an opportunity for discussion, love and understanding.

I’m grateful to those individuals who gave willingly of themselves to share their darkest troubles with me and were brave enough to project their experiences across the community. You gave us a glance into your lives and made us aware of what you and your loved ones go through on a daily basis. Your voices are heard and deeply felt and we thank you for sharing.

Your stories will hopefully give others who feel alone and hurt the courage and self-assurance to reach out for help.

Speaking to behavioral health professionals these past few weeks was for me like drawing an endlessly-rendering map of how pervasive, complex and interrelated mental health issues can be in the world we live in.

As said by many of the voices in this series, kindness is infectious. Give mom a call and ask about her day. Shoot a “hey, how’ve you been?” text to a friend. It can mean the world.