Aaron, I have only one small suggestion. I would have moved the first paragraph (I grew up in a tradition…) to right above “Setting the Scene” and started with the second paragraph.
That first paragraph would be an excellent lead in to the LOTR part. Plus, when your article show up in people’s feed, all they see is the first sentence. The sentence “Ending your own life doesn’t make sense at first glance…” is a really powerful one that would entice readers.
Also left a comment on your story. Thanks for joining in here — hope you’ll click and read someone else’s story, too.