Offering hope, comfort and support for survivors of suicide loss.
I drove to the cemetery after work yesterday. As I pulled into the road nearest Tom’s spot, I saw a gigantic bouquet of birthday balloons on one of his neighboring graves. I have never seen so many balloons at a cemetery before. As I walked past it, I felt that combination of joy and sadness you feel when someone has been so lovingly remembered in their absence. I walked to Tom’s grave and sat in front of the headstone like I always do. As I sat ...
In today’s post, guest blogger Sheri reflects on the loss of her daughter McKenzie during her birthday month. The content originally appeared on her blog, “2 Mommies of 3.”
Today our oldest daughter should have celebrated her 22nd birthday. Instead, this her third birthday as an angel since her death by suicide in Feb. 2017. Our family will gather and celebrate her birth the way we always have, with a pool party and BBQ. We ...
My grief for my son, Tom, goes in waves, and lately it has
felt like a tsunami. I am overwhelmed at the emptiness his absence creates. I
still yearn to hear, touch, and even smell him as my desire for connection has
not dissipated over the four years he has been gone. I have learned to
acknowledge and even savor these moments because Tom is a part of me, and I
have not and will not stop loving him just because he no longer walks visibly
beside ...
In the wake of losing her son Tom to suicide, guest author Kimberly Starr has devoted her life to suicide prevention and is an advocate for survivors. Her post is a much-needed reminder that even if we don't hear it from others, the lives and deaths of our loved ones leave a lasting impression. Most people don't know how or when to bring up a memory for fear of "reminding" us of our loss. We all know that it's not possible to forget and it can be ...
When the shock of my father's suicide began to wear off, I became a rambling mess. My brain was on overdrive as I worked to process the events that had occurred a few short months prior. As I worked to sort out what had happened in my life, a common response surfaced. Over and over I was told, "There is nothing you could have done." Reflecting back on what I can remember of those days (they all seem a little blurry), I know that this response was ...
