You Are Not a Burden
You are irreplaceable, unrepeatable, and deeply valuable. I Bill Vassilopoulos

I want to speak honestly about feeling like a burden and believing that everyone around me would be better off without me. That’s how I felt when I was 18 years old. My girlfriend at the time had broken up with me, and I had gotten into a nasty fight with my dad. In my pain and confusion, I thought the solution was to end it all.

But somehow, a vision of my mother weeping in front of me broke that dark spell. That image stopped me. It shook me awake. And I began the long, difficult work of trying to save my own life.

Thirty-eight years later, I’m still here, living and even enjoying life in this upside-down world. I’m deeply thankful to God—my Lord and Savior, Yeshua. I’m grateful for my beautiful wife, who is gracious, wise, tenderhearted, and always eager to serve and bless others. I’m thankful that I was present for the birth of my three children and that I now get to watch my three amazing grandchildren grow and develop into their own unique selves.

When I read comments on social media saying that we all have a “choice” to pursue Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), it grieves me deeply. If that option had been easily placed in front of me when I was 18—during a season of heartbreak and emotional turmoil—I might not be here today. The pain I felt back then was real, but it was not permanent. My story did not end at 18.

What troubles me is how far the conversation has shifted. Wasn’t MAiD originally presented as something reserved for rare cases—competent adults with grievous and irreversible terminal illnesses? Now we hear discussions about eligibility expanding in ways that many Canadians never imagined.

Young adults struggling with emotional burdens need care, compassion, and meaningful mental health support—not a pathway toward death. Seniors who have worked hard, paid into pensions for decades, and contributed to this country deserve dignity, protection, and proper medical care—not subtle pressure that their lives are too costly or inconvenient.

If MAiD is truly a choice, it must be free from pressure—direct or indirect. No patient should feel steered toward it because of inadequate care, long wait times, loneliness, disability, or financial stress. A real choice requires real alternatives: strong palliative care, mental health resources, community support, and compassionate medical treatment.

I have reached out to my Member of Parliament to express my concerns and to ask for clarity and safeguards around how MAiD is presented and offered. Regardless of where we each stand on this issue, we should all agree that vulnerable people deserve protection, transparency, and genuine support.

Friends, I also connected with Delta Hospice Society, which provides information about a Do Not Euthanize (DNE) medical card kit for those who want to document their wishes. I receive no funding for mentioning them. I simply believe people should be informed and empowered to make decisions aligned with their values. Go to my homepage and click on Free DNE Kit.

We are living in complicated times. But one thing remains true:

You are not a burden.
Your life has meaning beyond what you can see in your darkest moment.
The pain you feel today does not get to decide your entire future. We also have the blessed assurance of our Savior. We are so deeply valuable to God that He sent His Son to rescue us from this dark and broken world. Kindly read from the Gospel of John, John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

This is how much you are loved. This is how much you matter. Your life is not an accident, and your story is not finished.

I love you all.

Warmly, Your friend

Bill Vassilopoulos