Kindness Saves Lives – Literally

Sometimes, a smile can change someone's life — or, in the case of Don Ritchie, actually save a life, many times over.
Ritchie lives in a house not far from The Gap, a stark cliff overlooking Sydney Harbour off which more people throw themselves than any other place in Australia. Local officials say that the average of people who commit suicide by jumping off The Gap is about one a week. If it weren't for Don Ritchie, that number would be a lot higher.

The fence would be a lot higher, too, if the local council's approval for funding gets approved. The fence keeping people away from the edge is currently only three feet high — more than low enough for someone determined to jump off the cliff to scramble over on their way to their death.

Ritchie is what many people call "an angel who walks among us." What he does, quite simply, is gently coax the suicidal back to the world of the living — with a kind word, the offer of a cup of tea, and (most of all) a smile.

It is that smile that has saved many people, not only at The Gap but also elsewhere in the world. An apocryphal story out of San Francisco tells of how a man who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge (another prime destination for those wishing to end their lives by jumping from a height) left a note saying that if he saw one person smile at him, he wouldn't jump. Sadly, authorities found the note after the man had jumped.

A similar story comes from a man who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge — and survived. He paced along a sidewalk on the bridge for nearly 40 minutes, agonizing over his state in life. He promised himself that if one person showed him an ounce of kindness, he wouldn't jump. Many people, oblivious to all but their own concerns, passed him by. A tourist did stop but only to ask the man to take her picture.

But back to Don Ritchie. He's 84 now (in 2010). He and his wife, Moya, have been married for 58 years. They have lived near The Gap for 50 years. The number of people that he has convinced not to jump is high, he insists, although he doesn't keep a running count. (The official count kept by the local council, however, stands at 16-0.)

He has lost a few, including a boy who listened calmly and carefully to Ritchie's side of the conversation before jumping anyway. (The wind blew the boy's hat into Ritchie's outstretched arms on that occasion.)

More often than not, though, the people come back from The Gap, after listening to and talking with Ritchie. Sometimes, they come back to his house for a cup of tea. Other times, they walk away and get on with their lives.

Some people never forget the kindness of Don Ritchie. One woman who turned from the edge thanks to Ritchie returned to his home awhile later with a bottle of champagne and continues to make a point of writing to him once a year, reminding him of his kindness toward her and updating her on her successes in the world of the living.

The Australian government has awarded Ritchie its highest honor, the Medal of the Order of Australia. He and Moya were named their local council's 2010 Citizens of the Year. Long retired (from a career in — seriously — life insurance), Ritchie now spends his time with his wife. Not as active as he used to be, he enjoys reading. (His current read is the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness. He is determined, though, to keep watch and keep on offering a smile, a kind word, and a cup of tea — as long as he is able.