Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
Tom died the Monday before spring break in 2015. He attended the same school where I worked. I took the week off, of course, to mourn and make arrangements. But the Friday before break, I was granted permission to attend my Theatre Arts class. It was safe with my husband, the principal, and a counselor present along with my students. We did our usual entry activity and then talked about the play they were watching in my absence. It was an hour of ...
There are many things I remember about the day my son, Tom, died.
I remember the last thing I said to him and his reply. I have the last text he sent me about the books he ordered for his next quarter at college and the last text I sent to him when he was not home when expected.
I remember calling his dad and asking if he knew where Tom was because he wasn’t home yet. I remember his return call telling me Tom was dead and me arguing with ...
As my husband and I sat parked in our car at one of my favorite locations to play Pokémon Go, I watched a young, smiling couple with their two children playing in the multicolored fallen leaves. I opened my passenger window to feel the warm, gentle breeze and smell the river nearby.
The mother raked up a pile of leaves with her hands and then placed her toddler in it to take her picture. At the same time, the father collected leaves and threw ...
Eight years ago, I was three months into my grief journey when I participated in my first International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. My dad had just taken his life, two months after my wedding. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’ve come to appreciate the event’s proximity to the holiday season.
November is a tough time for bereaved families. If grief could be compared to a thermostat, the pain dial seems to turn up in perfect sync with ...
Losing a loved one to suicide is one of the most difficult things someone can experience. Unexpected deaths are shocking and traumatic, leaving those left behind little time or space to figure out how to carry on with everyday activities. Most of us are blindsided and consumed with trying to make sense of what happened. This is why many suicide loss survivors need extra tender loving care (TLC).
It’s hard to know what to do or say when you ...
