Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
It is hard to believe that it has been eight years since losing dad to suicide. Much has happened in the last eight years, all of which my dad hasn't been a part of. I think that's what hurts the most. While we talk about my dad often, it doesn't replace the fact that he is no longer here. This year's anniversary seems to be hitting harder than it has in a while. Maybe it's the after-Christmas blues when the dust settles and there is little to ...
It is amazing to me, that it has been seven years since I lost my father to suicide. I am not sure how, but the day I lost him feels both like a lifetime ago, and just yesterday. So much has changed since that day. I wanted to take a minute to reflect on how my life has changed as a result of his loss. 7 reflections, 7 years after my dad's suicide:
I lost myself, and then I found myself. I have spent more time reflecting on myself in the ...
The holiday season can be a difficult time for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. The cards that feature happy (and complete) families, the upbeat carols everywhere you go, the memories of holidays past, are just a few of the things that magnify the pain of a suicide loss. I have had several people tell me that the only thing they want to do is hibernate until it is over. Unfortunately, hibernating is often not a choice. What can we do ...
The holiday season can be a difficult time for those who have been touched by suicide. For me, the holidays are a reminder of my own dad's suicide. I will never forget the phone conversation I had with my dad the night before Thanksgiving, 2011. He wasn't himself; something just wasn't right. While a month would pass before his life ended, I often consider that night to be the turning point in his life. For a survivor of a suicide loss, the ...
There are moments in the aftermath of a suicide loss where happiness and sadness collide. For many years I felt conflicted when sadness appeared during times that should be happy. I tried to stuff the sadness down, not acknowledging its presence. What I found was by burying the sadness, I wasn't able to experience the happiness. Why does it have to be happiness OR sadness? I have come to find out that it doesn't have to be one or the other. You ...
